Card Number 580, Grace Chase, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card of Grace Chase, an actress from the late 19th century, made by Duke Sons & Co. to advertise Cross Cut Cigarettes. Her gaze and expression are quite arresting. The actress's direct gaze is a motif found across centuries, echoing the penetrating stares of Roman portrait busts and Renaissance Madonnas. This gaze, often seen in classical sculpture, transcends mere portraiture, aiming to engage viewers, stirring something primal within us. It's a silent invitation, a way of forging a connection that bypasses conscious thought. Consider the Renaissance portraits of powerful rulers and merchants. Their unflinching gazes, like Grace Chase's, were intended to project authority and command respect. Even today, we find echoes of this in advertising where the eyes of a model seek to draw us into a world of aspiration and desire. This non-linear journey of symbols reveals how images speak to us through time.