Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

John Davis made this "Cigar Store Indian" with watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. I love how the flat, almost graphic quality of the image still manages to convey the texture of the carved wood it depicts. Looking closely, the artist has delineated the planes of the figure's form with delicate shading in graphite, almost like a coloring book, then added a layer of watercolor on top to give it some depth. I'm drawn to the way the artist handled the skirt, using a mottled effect to give it an almost velvety, worn feeling. The geometric blocks of color on the sleeve also catch my eye, each one carefully outlined in graphite. This piece reminds me a little of Joseph Yoakum, another artist with a knack for capturing the essence of a subject in a simplified, almost dreamlike way. Art is a constant conversation across time, isn't it? A beautiful, ambiguous, and ever-evolving exploration of how we see the world.