Cigar Store Indian
c. 1937
Medium
gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.1 x 27.9 cm (13 13/16 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 76" high; 16" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8057
Art Historical Context
**Cigar Store Indian**, a vibrant gouache on paperboard Eugene Croe, captures the essence of a classic American folk art form from around 1937. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD)—a New Deal-era Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration—this detailed rendering documents a towering wooden statue originally measuring 76 inches high and 16 inches. The IAD aimed to celebrate and preserve everyday American design, from quilts to shop signs, employing artists like Croe to produce precise, colorful watercolor studies during the Great Depression. Cigar store Indian...
About the Artist
Eugene Croe
Eugene Croe (c. 1875–1953) was an American artist whose career is primarily documented through his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s and 1940s. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists to create precise illustrations of American folk art, decorative arts, and everyday objects, preserving a visua...