Cigar Store Indian c. 1939

Georgine E. Mason rendered "Cigar Store Indian" in watercolor, and I can imagine her standing before the carved original with her paints and brushes, really looking. I bet she was fascinated by its presence, its shape, and the way it carried stories. The surface of this painting is so matte, so different from the slickness you might expect, and the colors are muted in a way that feels really intimate. Look at how she rendered the headdress, the way each feather is carefully placed, but also kind of flattened and simplified. There’s a tenderness in the way she painted this figure. I think about the history of these objects, the way they stood outside shops, drawing people in. Mason seems to be in conversation with this history. It’s like she’s asking: what does it mean to represent something, someone, in this way? She reminds us that every painting, every artwork, is part of an ongoing dialogue.