Cigar Store Indian c. 1936

Walter Hochstrasser made this watercolor and graphite drawing, *Cigar Store Indian*, on paper. The drawing is so literal and flat, it's almost like the man is actually there, posed, stuck in time. The artist uses earth tones with spots of bright red, a gold necklace, and mossy green to bring this man to life. I imagine Hochstrasser seeing the wood sculpture in the world, and thinking, how can I make this my own? What can I add? What can I take away? What do I want to capture? I wonder if Hochstrasser also thought about the implications of the subject, like, what does this imagery mean? Is he trying to call attention to something? And then to render it on a box with wheels! Like, this image can go anywhere, anytime. Even right up to you.