Meditrina, Goddess of Medicine, from the Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans series (N188) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Behold *Meditrina, Goddess of Medicine*, a vibrant commercial color lithograph from the1889 *Goddesses of the Greeks and Romans* seriesN188), issued by. S. Kimball &., with printing by the Ketterlinus Lith Company. This petite card, measuring just 2¾ × 1½ inches, captures the Roman deity associated with healing, often depicted with serpents—uring symbols of medicine and renewal, evoking the caduceus or Aesculapius rod. Produced during the height of chromolithography's popularity in late 19th-century America, the piece exemplifies mass-produced ephemera used in tobacco advertising. Kimball, a Rochester-based company, distributed these collectible cards with cigarette packs to entice consumers and promote classical mythology in everyday culture. The technique's bold colors and fine detail made such tiny prints strikingly lifelike, bridging fine art and commerce. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of the Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how Victorian-era advertising romanticized ancient gods to appeal to educated audiences. A charming window into Gilded Age popular culture, it reminds us of mythology's enduring role in health and healing imagery.

About the Artist

Ketterlinus Lithography Company|William S. Kimball & Company ( |American) · |1850 – |1950

|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania