Louis XVth Dancer, from the Dancing Women series (N186) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 in. (6.9 × 3.7 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
63.350.216.186.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century advertising with *Louis XVth Dancer* from the *Dancing Women* series (N186), a charming commercial color lithograph produced by William S. Kimball & Company in 1889. This petite print (just 2 11/16 × 1 7/16 inches) captures a graceful dancer evoking the opulent style of France's Louis XV era (1715–1774), with her flowing skirts and poised elegance. Issued as part of a popular cigarette card series by the American tobacco firm, these ephemera were collectibles tucked into tobacco products, sparking a craze among enthusiasts for their beauty and variet...
About the Artist
William S. Kimball & Company
**William S. Kimball & Company**, a pioneering American tobacco manufacturer, was established in 1846 in Rochester, New York, by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart. The firm quickly grew into one of the city's largest employers, particularly of women, producing popular brands like Peerless chewing tobacco, Rigatta and Fireside smoking tobacco, and Vanity Fair cigarettes. Under Kimball's leadersh...