Cobaea: Gossip, from the series Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers (N75) for Duke brand cigarettes
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.204.75.35
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 1892 commercial color lithograph belongs to the “Floral Beauties and Language of Flowers” series (N75), issued by the American Tobacco Company to promote Duke brand cigarettes. Measuring just 2¾ by 1½ inches, the tiny card was designed as an insert for cigarette packs, encouraging collectors to assemble the full set. Its subject, Cobaea, carries the Victorian-era meaning “gossip,” reflecting the popular 19th-century custom of conveying messages through flowers. Printed by Donaldson Brothers, the card exemplifies the colorful, mass-produced lithographs that made eye-catching adve...
About the Artist
Donaldson Brothers|American Tobacco Company (American| ) · 1850 | –1870 |
American, New York|