Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

Walter Hochstrasser made this painting of a cigar store Indian, and it makes me wonder what the act of painting was for him. There's something so charming about this particular figure, standing there with her feathered headdress, yellow dress, and determined gaze. I can imagine Hochstrasser, brush in hand, trying to capture not just her likeness, but also her spirit, you know? Like he's not just copying what he sees, but also trying to understand her story. Is she powerful? Is she sad? That blue cloth draped across her arm looks so considered. I imagine Hochstrasser working on it, mixing the perfect shade, layering it on just so, to give it that soft, flowing effect. It’s like he's in a conversation with the figure, each brushstroke a response to her presence. And that’s the thing about painting, right? It's a conversation between the artist and the subject, a way of understanding the world through color and form.