Cigar Store Figure: Punch c. 1939

Elmer R. Kottcamp made this watercolor painting of Punch, the cigar store figure. Imagine Kottcamp, with his brush loaded with pigment, carefully laying down the initial washes of color. The green, red, and gold hues, applied with varying degrees of opacity, create a sense of depth and dimension. He would have been trying to capture the essence of this character. You can almost feel the weight of the figure through his rendering of shadow and form. The character is striking; his exaggerated features and vibrant colors, all intended to catch the eye of passersby. Kottcamp probably felt himself a bit like Punch: enticing customers into the sweet embrace of tobacco! The way Kottcamp uses watercolor to mimic the texture and form of a three-dimensional object reminds us of the enduring power of painting to transform the ordinary into something magical.