Cigar Store Indian
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 44 x 29.8 cm (17 5/16 x 11 3/4 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10105
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of American folk art with *Cigar Store Indian*, a captivating 1940 watercolor and colored pencil rendering by Walter Hochstrasser This detailed study, measuring 17 5/16 x 11 3/4 inches, depicts one of the iconic wooden trade figures that once stood sentinel outside tobacco shops across the United States. Hochstrasser's use of watercolor for fluid color washes, colored pencil for precise, and heightening—subtle white highlights—for dramatic depth brings the figure's bold carving and painted details to life on paper. Created as part of the Index of American Design, a...
About the Artist
Walter Hochstrasser
Walter Hochstrasser (1901–1975) was a Swiss-born American artist who became a significant contributor to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that created a comprehensive visual archive of American folk and decorative arts. Born in Switzerland in 1901, Hochstrasser emigrated to the United States and established himself as a watercolorist of considerable technical skill. T...