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When a Black Eye Taught Us a Lesson
Norman Rockwell and learning the hard way.
If you had to list the top artists in American culture, you could find Norman Rockwell’s name at or near the top. His art has been endearing to the lives of many Americans over the last century.
Easily relatable, his art spanned many themes over nearly forty years while fashioning the cover work of The Saturday Morning Post.
One particular piece can be seen in many schools on a wall in the principal’s office, or possibly in a prominent business woman’s cubicle as a reminder of the first day she stood up for what she believed. It’s the Girl With Black Eye.
It reminds us of what was right (or wrong, to some) at one point in our young lives.
This original artwork, painted on oil and canvas, graced the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on May 23, 1953. There is careful attention to detail, from the lines in the floor to the light shining through the opened door of the principal’s office.
Standing out like a sore thumb is the redheaded little girl, her frazzled hair jutting out in opposition to the white wall behind it.
The two things that stand out even more than her hair are the “mule eating briars” grin she wears and the puffy purple eye that is almost swollen…
