Curatorial Narrative The enigmatic “If you judge a cigar by its quality try a Black & White” exemplifies the nascent Art Deco movement’s fascination with modernity and the rejection of traditional artistic conventions. Conceived within the confines of late 19th to early 20th-century America, this anonymous work embodies the era’s increasing preoccupation with urbanization, industrialization, and the rise of the avant-garde. The artist’s deliberate adoption of a linear brushwork style serves as a visual manifestation of the period’s mechanical innovations and the subsequent valorization of machine-made goods over handcrafted ones. Upon enlargement to 44×68, the artwork assumes a commanding presence within the luxury interior environment. The stark black and white palette, reminiscent of the era’s burgeoning interest in photography and cinematography, lends an almost cinematic quality to the space. As one navigates the spatial rhyth