Cigar Store Indian 1935 - 1942

This is Flora Merchant's 'Cigar Store Indian' made at an undetermined time, but painted with watercolor. The whole image seems to be constructed through a layering of washes. The ground, in particular, looks like a very thin wash of pale gray, against which the more saturated colors of the figure pop. Look at how the artist uses the sienna color throughout the image, and how she has drawn into the wet paint to give the illusion of carving. There is a beautiful detail in the highlights along the left side of the figure’s dress where she has revealed the white of the paper. I love that contrast between the very subtle washes and then these very assertive gestures. It reminds me of Guston’s watercolors and how he allowed the medium to describe form, space, and atmosphere all at once. You can see that she’s totally relaxed about the meaning. It’s not fixed but embraces the inherent ambiguity of the process.