Cigar Store Indian 1941

Sydney Roberts made this watercolor painting of a Cigar Store Indian in 1941. The colors are muted, like faded memories. Look at how she layered these transparent washes! It's all about the process. The paper peeks through, giving it a fragile, ephemeral quality. The figure stands stiffly on a gray block. Roberts captured the figure's roughhewn texture, which is at odds with the delicate watercolor. I love how Roberts used the watery paint to define the wood grain, giving the figure a sense of depth. It's so simple, just a few strokes, but it creates this illusion of three-dimensionality. And notice the face? It's got this stoic, almost mournful expression. Reminds me of some of Marsden Hartley's portraits, you know? That same kind of direct, unvarnished gaze. Painting is all about the exchange of ideas. It’s like a big, ongoing conversation. And the best art embraces ambiguity.