Nature poured the fragrant treasure of two summers into oneshe gave a richer crop.a vintage
This brand of cigarettes, produced in the USA, was named after the title of a French noblewoman, “la marquise.” The woman’s portrait is most likely intended to be the marquise herself, posing with a drawn in mole on her cheek below her eye a la Marie Antoinette. Note that she herself is not smoking, as it was considered unladylike and improper for women to smoke in public at the time. However, this ad may have appealed to ladies, especially considering the woman’s large hat and elegant fashion sense. The tobacco crop used in these cigarettes is compared to a “vintage,” an idea borrowed from wine-making. The La Marquise cigarettes were said to have been made from the 1902 tobacco crop, which was supposedly a very fine “vintage.” The cigarettes are made to appear more sophisticated by their association with fine wine.
The portrait was painted by American illustrator Hamilton King (1871-1952) and is dated Paris ‘09. King was a well-known illustrator, painter, and etcher of women. He was French-trained and was a member of the Society of Illustrators. In addition to this La Marquise advertisement, he was also commissioned by Coca Cola to illustrate beautiful women in hats such as this. Some of his Coca Cola ads pictured women actually sipping Coca Cola. He was also a popular artist for women’s magazines, indicating that this cigarette ad was most likely targeted toward a female audience. The Society of Illustrators presents the Hamilton King Award, listed as “one of the industry’s most prestigious awards” to one illustrator annually.
Fashion, Female, Luxury, nature
