Cigar Store Indian c. 1938

This is Henry Tomaszewski's "Cigar Store Indian," made with watercolor, gouache, and graphite. The way the colors are laid down, not quite flat, but not blended either, makes me think of the decisions, the choices, that the artist made. Up close, the surface reveals the process: you can see the tooth of the paper and the subtle gradations of the gouache. It’s like Tomaszewski is showing us how he figured out the volume of the figure, building it up with these layers. Take a look at the detailing on the figure's headdress, the way Tomaszewski captures the texture of the feathers with short, deliberate strokes. These small marks give you a real sense of the artist’s hand and how the colors are quietly doing the work. You could imagine Marsden Hartley looking at this, with his interest in American folk art and his sensitivity to the nuances of color. It's all about the relationship between intention and accident, and how the artist allows the materials to guide the process.