Cigar Store Figure c. 1942

Curator: This compelling portrait is titled "Cigar Store Figure," rendered around 1942 by Elizabeth Johnson. She employed a mixed media approach—likely charcoal and paint—to capture this folk-art sensibility. What strikes you initially? Editor: The overwhelming feeling is… solidity. It's the layering of forms, the repeated horizontals in the base and dress, they speak to weight, both literally and figuratively. There's a stillness bordering on severity. Curator: Indeed. Cigar store figures in that era served as prominent visual signifiers, beckoning customers. They weren't merely decorative; they signaled commerce and aspiration, often mirroring or idealizing consumer demographics. Consider the symbolic weight of advertising made flesh. Editor: Interesting. The materiality then becomes another layer of significance. Wood, in actuality for the sculpture and simulated here. This evokes ideas of labor, craftsmanship, and perhaps even a deliberate echo of a ‘frontier’ aesthetic. The subject presents herself while being rooted to her base like the sculpture she represents. Curator: Precisely. And note how her presentation reinforces this: the subtle detailing of her garb points toward idealized Victorian sensibilities— braided updo, and laced, layered fabrics, indicating propriety while advertising to a buying public. Editor: However, in its current form, it almost seems ironic that we encounter this cigar store figure rendered on paper. Instead of the imposing wooden form designed to inhabit exterior commercial spaces, here it has become something intimate, viewed for contemplation. The act of transposition itself has produced another layer of meaning, altering its social symbolism by confining the image within the borders of the artwork. Curator: That transformation is key. The artist pulls this figure out of her commercial environment and offers her up for review. As such, one may see Johnson questioning how we, as a consumer culture, see not just the products being sold but also the signifiers meant to sell us on an image. Editor: Yes, that reflective recontextualization is the striking takeaway. It makes me wonder how the artist viewed the role and implications of commercial imagery. Curator: It’s a thoughtful point. Thank you for helping to explore how cultural symbols and formal choices intertwine here. Editor: Likewise. It is rewarding to reveal what unexpected resonances emerge when cultural relics like this are given sustained attention.