Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

This watercolor and graphite drawing of a cigar store Indian was made by Vincent McPharlin. I can just picture him hunched over the paper, carefully applying the watercolor in thin washes to build up the figure's form and details. The way he renders the figure's garments, with that cascade of green and pink, makes me think about how clothing drapes and folds—not unlike how we see fabric rendered in Renaissance painting! The Indian’s face and features are rendered with such soft precision that it gives the figure a dignified, statuesque presence. You can see how the artist has used layers of color to create depth and volume, especially in the base and the figure's skin tones. I'm moved to imagine how artists look to each other across time, picking up threads of inspiration and technique. It reminds us that art-making is like a big, ongoing conversation.