Luiz I, King of Portugal, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-1) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 × 4 5/16 in. (6.4 × 11 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
63.350.206.126.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant chromolithograph, titled *Luiz I, King of Portugal*, is a gem from the 1888 "Rulers,, and Coats of series (N126-1)" issued by W., Sons & Co., a leading American tobacco company. just 2½ × 4⅜ inches, it was designed as an insert for cigarette packs, capitalizing on the era's collecting craze among smokers. The series showcased global monarchs alongside their national flags and coats of arms, blending patriotism with promotion in an age when tobacco brands vied for loyalty through colorful ephemera. King Luiz I (1838–1889), who reigned from 1861 until his death, is depicted in rega...
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co. · 1870–1920
**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...