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| Norman Rockwell was known for his 20th century depictions of life in America. This photo was taken during this period in American history. Photo courtesy of flickr.com (Smithsonian Institute) |
Christmas cards, magazine covers and oil on canvas
paintings were just a few of the mediums that American illustrator Norman
Rockwell used throughout his artistic career.
Norman Rockwell was often referred to as the quintessential painter of
American life, as his painting career was spent depicting the landscape of life
in the United States in the 20th century. “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman
Rockwell”, an article printed in the Arts
& Activities journal, analyzes
the significance of Rockwell’s work and captures the essence of his artistic
works. The journal article claims that
Norman Rockwell’s “images reflect the history of America as told through the
eyes of this idealistic and patriotic artist who sought to show America at its
best, and to present the lives, hopes and dreams of the average American in the
middle-20th century,” (Johnson 1).
The “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” article argues
that Norman Rockwell’s paintings captured the essence of 20th
century American life through his all-encompassing body of work and ability to
chronicle America in a variety of different focuses.
The “American Chronicles” article showed that, to understand
Norman Rockwell’s historical chronicling of American life, it is necessary to
trace his roots to gain a full view of the meaning of his work. Norman Rockwell grew up with an astounding
artistic ability, entering the prestigious National Academy of Design and Art
Students League as a student. At the age
of 15, Rockwell began his first nationally-exposed work with Boy’s Life, the official magazine of the
Boy Scouts of America, by painting magazine covers for their monthly magazines
(Johnson 1). Just 7 years later,
Rockwell had already started work with several other nationally-distributed
magazines, including the famous Saturday
Evening Post (Johnson 1). Now, almost 120 years later, Rockwell’s
work is still circulated and shown in various historical art and magazine
circles throughout the world. Rockwell
is still considered one of the most famous artists in the world, and one key
reason for his popularity and ability to serve as the chronicler of American life
stands in his realistic and all-encompassing body of work.
Norman Rockwell painted a large number of
paintings over his career, but each painting had its own unique focus. Much of Rockwell’s popularity stemmed from
his ability to capture the everyday life, hopes, conflicts, and joys associated
with America. The “American Chronicles:
The Art of Norman Rockwell” article focuses
on three specific examples of Rockwell’s work that illustrate different focuses
of the United States in the 1900s. The
three paintings, Going and Coming, Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of
Christ, and Murder in Mississippi
capture three completely different aspects of life in the United States.
Rockwell’s Going
and Coming painting is a depiction of the typical American family in a car
on the way to, and on the way back from a family trip. Paintings like Going and Coming were the most common works that Rockwell
published, illustrating what everyday life of the American family was like
during the 1900s. This painting served
as the cover of the Saturday Evening Post,
and the “American Chronicles” article points out the positivity and joyfulness
that many associate with Rockwell’s celebration with American life is present
in this piece. The “American Chronicles”
article uses this piece as a clear example of Norman Rockwell’s work that shows
real-life, joyful experiences in 20th century America.
The “American Chronicles” article’s next selected
Rockwell piece, Uneasy Christmas in the
Birthplace of Christ, shows a pair of American soldiers and some small
children sitting in the darkness of night, overlooking what appears to be a
large gathering or riot of people in Jerusalem.
The painting focuses on the patriotic camaraderie between the two
American soldiers, and it is attempting to remind the nation that while they
may be safe and protected at home on Christmas, there are other Americans
fighting and stationed abroad. The
essence of military sacrifice is the central theme of this painting, and it
shows Rockwell’s ability to delve into critical topics like thankfulness and
nationalism. “American Chronicles”
argues that this portrait was yet another piece that personified Rockwell’s
versatility in illustrating the different sides of life for Americans.
The final, and most controversial of the three
paintings, Murder in Mississippi, is
a “haunting depiction of a civil-rights tragedy in the South,” (Johnson
3). The image shows three men, two
white, and one black, in the streets of an American urban city. One white man is face down, appearing to be
unresponsive, and the other is standing up with a gleaming face of realization
as he holds a slipping and bloody black man that is falling to the ground. In what appears to be the aftermath of a
civil-rights activist protest, the painting portrays the standing white man as
the heroic figure, as he looks up to the sky as if realizing the true sin of
racism as he tries to comfort the dying African-American. Murder
in Mississippi is not a typical Rockwell painting, as it focuses on evil
and conflict that existed in America, which was not the trend for the majority
of his art. “American Chronicles” claims
that Rockwell took the initiative to admit the true problems and wrong-doings
of segregation in the United States, and he shared his message with the
nation. Murder in Mississippi, along with Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of Christ and Going and Coming exemplify Norman
Rockwell’s ability to create an all-encompassing mixture of American life that
helped him capture the essence of 20th century American life from various
unique angles.
The work of Norman Rockwell in different forms and
mediums helps exhibit his true role as the true 20th century
American chronicler. Norman Rockwell
“painted America as it was supposed to look, as many wanted it to look,” and
“as a ‘semi-official’ chronicler of American life, Rockwell most often focused
on the joys of childhood, the clumsiness of adolescence, the responsibility of
adulthood, and the virtue of family and country,” (Johnson 3). “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman
Rockwell” showed that with an entire career dedicated to showing, telling, and
celebrating the heart of America in every focus, Norman Rockwell became the
quintessential chronicler for depicting American life throughout the extent of
the 20th century.
Works Cited
Johnson, Mark M. "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell." Arts & Activities 143.3
(2009): 23-25. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com>.
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