Cigar Store Indian c. 1938

Lucille Lacoursiere made this watercolor of a Cigar Store Indian, we don't know exactly when. It has a directness to it, an unpretentious clarity, like folk art. Look at the way the colors define the statue, how she uses clean lines and simple shading to give it form. The palette is earthy, but with these surprising pops of green and red, creating a dynamic tension. The paint looks thin, almost transparent, allowing the paper's texture to peek through. See the way Lacoursiere captures the texture of the wooden figure? You can almost feel the roughness of the carved skirt. This piece resonates with the work of artists like Joseph Yoakum, who found beauty in the everyday, transforming it into something magical. In the end, art is a conversation across time, a continuous exchange of ideas and perspectives.