Cigar Store Man 1937

Alvin Gully made this watercolor of a cigar store man, but we don't know exactly when. It’s painted in brown and black hues, with a neutral background. I’m trying to imagine him painting this, carefully layering the colors to create a three-dimensional form. He would be thinking about volume, light, and shadow. You have to decide everything! This man is so dignified, standing tall and proud, even though he's just an advertisement. I wonder, was Gully trying to capture the spirit of the Black community, their resilience and elegance? I think it would have been a radical act. This man resembles those figures by Archibald Motley, or maybe even Jacob Lawrence, all capturing facets of Black life. There's a conversation happening across time and space, through color and form, all inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. I feel like that's what painting is all about—ongoing dialogues.