Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

This watercolor of a ‘Cigar Store Indian’ was created by Dorothy Handy. The statue is presented frontally with a limited palette of browns and creams. The artist uses light and shadow to model the figure, giving it depth and volume, though this does not quite succeed in producing a sense of three-dimensionality due to the flatness of the watercolor medium. It offers an evocative depiction of an object that once stood as a cultural artifact, the wooden cigar store Indian; these sculptures were placed outside tobacconists to attract customers through a romanticized image of Native Americans. Handy's choice of watercolor lends a softness to the representation, somewhat at odds with the original object's carved materiality. This artistic decision invites us to consider how media and technique can alter the reception of historical symbols, questioning the authority and fixed meaning often attributed to such figures. Through its composition and technique, this piece challenges us to examine our relationship with cultural symbols and their ongoing reinterpretation within evolving societal contexts.