Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Cover Girl

 “Cover Girl” by Norman Rockwell (1941)

To assure a successful cover, Rockwell grabs the viewer's attention with a trick he matches the cover girl's face perfectly to the schoolgirl's body. By picturing a reader so engrossed in the Post, Rockwell emphasizes the interest and allure of the magazine, thus promoting its sale on newsstands. Beyond the gimmick, a story of growing up emerges in the simple scene of commuting to school. A young girl will soon leave behind her scuffed saddle shoes for polished heels and her cozy mittens for kidskin gloves.In 1943 the original painting was given as a gift to Walt Disney, with Rockwell's personalized inscription "To Walt Disney, one of the really great artists, from an admirer, Norman Rockwell." In 2001 the painting was donated to the Norman Rockwell Museum by the Disney family.

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