Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

Eugene Croe made this striking ‘Cigar Store Indian’ painting with watercolor. It’s the kind of piece where the making is pretty visible - you can see the handiwork in the careful, even strokes and the deliberate layering of color. Looking at this, I’m drawn to how the colors are both flat and kinda rich at the same time. There’s this red that feels like it’s trying to be a fancy royal color, but it’s also a bit...off. It’s the way the layers of color sit on the surface that makes it pop. Take the small details, like the feathers on the figure's head. Each stroke feels intentional, almost reverential, adding a layer of depth. It's not unlike some of Alex Katz's early flat paintings, they share a similar sense of color and form. But where Katz seeks flatness, Croe finds depth. This piece is so captivating because it embraces ambiguity and invites us to see art as an ongoing dialogue.