“ Children Dancing at a Party ” ( eng. Children Dancing at a Party ) - a picture created by American artist and illustrator Norman Rockwell . This painting is also called " Boy Stepping on Girl's Foot" ( Eng. Boy Stepping on Girl's Toe ) and "Forgive Me" ( Eng. Pardon Me ).
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| Norman Rockwell | ||
| Children dancing at a party . 1918 | ||
| English Children dancing at a party | ||
| Oil on canvas . 58 × 48 cm | ||
| National Museum of American Illustration, Newport (Rhode Island) | ||
It was used as the cover for the release of The Saturday Evening Post of January 26, 1918. [1] This is the 11th of 322 covers created by Norman Rockwell for this magazine over 47 years from 1916 to 1963 [1] . The original oil painting on canvas measuring 58 by 48 centimeters is in the collection of the National Museum of American Illustration.
Content
Description of the picture
The picture shows a boy who fell into a funny and awkward situation, accidentally stepping on a girl’s foot while dancing. The girl holds her foot on the weight, looking offended at the boy and as if asking: "Why did you do this?" The boy tries to apologize, holding out his hands with his palms up towards the girl. His red cheeks emphasize the awkwardness of the situation. The second dancing couple in the background is amused by the unfolding scene in front of them. Children are dressed formally and solemnly.
Painting ratings
The picture refers to the early period of the artist's work, when he already actively collaborated with The Saturday Evening Post , but did not yet determine the face of the magazine with his illustrations. Rockwell's illustrations at this time were sometimes rejected from The Saturday Evening Post , after which they were readily accepted by other magazines [2] . Under nine covers of 1917-1919 (including “Children Dancing at a Party”), Guptill’s book “Norman Rockwell - Illustrator” contains the artist’s words: “I feel like an old horseradish from the mountain when I think about what I painted magazine covers during two world wars ” [3] . An awkward American boy, often falling into an awkward position, gradually occupies a significant place in the artist's work (see the article Swimming is forbidden (picture) ).
Christopher Finch discusses the picture in connection with the image of American childhood [4] in the early paintings of Norman Rockwell. On the first 24 covers of The Saturday Evening Post from May 1916 to 1919, only four are not present at least one child or teenager [5] , which indicates the interest of both the magazine and the artist himself to the topic of the younger generation of Americans. At the same time, “Children Dancing at a Party” [6] are cited as a rare example of a picture that simultaneously shows boys and girls. At the same time, girls look noticeably older than boys, so that boys are much freer and easier to communicate with dogs than with them [7] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Children Dancing at a Party by Norman Rockwell .
- ↑ Guptill, 1971 .
- ↑ Guptill, 1971 , p. 155.
- ↑ Finch, 1975 , growing up in America.
- ↑ Finch, 1975 , p. 49.
- ↑ Finch, 1975 , Figure 60.
- ↑ Finch, 1975 , p. 52.
Literature
- Finch, Christopher. Norman Rockwell's America. - New York: Henry N Abrams inc, 1975 .-- 313 p.
- Guptill, Arthur L. Norman Rockwell Illustrator . - New York: Watson — Guptill, 1971 .-- 215 p. - ISBN 0070252130 .