Milan I, King of Servia, from the Rulers, Flags, and Coats of Arms series (N126-2) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co.
Medium
Commercial color lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 × 4 1/4 in. (7 × 10.8 cm) Sheet (folded): 2 3/4 × 1 7/16 in. (7 × 3.6 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
63.350.206.126.92
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant chromolithograph, *Milan I, King ofia*, from W. Duke, Sons &.'s *Rulers, Flags, Coats of Arms* (N126-2), captures the profile of Milan I Obrenović, who ruled Serbia (then spelled "Servia") as from 1882 to 1889. Produced in 1888, this tiny card—measuring just 2¾ × 4¼ inches—showcases the king's regal portrait alongside symbolic flags and coats of arms, reflecting late 19th-century European fascination with monarchy and national identity during a time of Balkan political upheaval. Issued by the American tobacco firm W. Duke, Sons & Co., these commercial color lithographs were premi...
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...