Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

Editor: This is Henry Murphy’s "Cigar Store Indian," circa 1937, done in watercolor. It looks like a figure set against an open, blank background, the composition draws me right to the detail on the subject himself. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: The treatment of form is particularly compelling. Note how Murphy articulates the planes of the figure through subtle gradations of color. Observe the tonal shifts which describe the dimensionality of the statue, a formal translation which imbues the two-dimensional surface with depth and volume. Editor: Yes, I see how the use of color really brings out the shape. What do you make of the pose? Curator: The rigidity of the figure, combined with its frontal presentation, lends a sense of monumentality, irrespective of its actual size. The artist guides our perception and affects our comprehension through masterful use of structuralist elements, like contrast and balance, within a contained spatial composition. It is almost archetypal, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Definitely, now that you point it out. Is it fair to assume the subject's form informs how to understand the greater implications? Curator: Precisely. The visual components generate meaning. By engaging with those formal devices, we unravel the artwork's intended reception. Editor: This has been really insightful. Thank you for sharing this way to look at Murphy's painting! Curator: My pleasure. I trust our examination provides a robust model to decode artistic expression beyond the superficial and towards the elemental constructs of artmaking.