Yesterday's Google Home Page

I don't know if anyone noticed the illustration on yesterday's Google homepage. But if they did and they wondered what it was, they might be interested in an explanation.

"For those who aren't, look away now."

The picture was titled "Sunset" (although there were no credits,) it's from the front page of "The Saturday Evening Post" dated 24th April 1926.





I know this as I have both a coffee-table book and a little "4 X5" hard back book of 332 magazine covers by Norman Rockwell.
In the mid to late fifties as a teenager, I bought that magazine each week and never ceased to be amazed how Rockwell could produce such fantastic illustrations which in themselves told a story, week in week out for over 50 years.
This is my favourite from 1958.
"The Runaway."
Probably the most well known.





Rockwell was never considered as an "artist" by contemporary art critics. He himself described his work as that of "an illustrator."
As for the "telling stories" this is a classic example from Sept. 25th 1954.
"Breaking ties."





We can tell the father is a farmer (a subtle clue might be the very faded word "Ranch" that you can just make out on the door of the pick-up) and his son is off to start college by train from the props used.
The father has a care-worn and resigned expression on his face, the son's by contrast, bright and expectant as he looks for the approaching train.
The battered pick-up, the father's clothes, the pointedly placed train guard's lamp and flag (that wouldn't really be there) add to the story.
It was probably a struggle to find the college fees, compare the father's old denims and worn shoes, but polished for the send-off, with the boys new clothes and shoes. The loss of the son to the family accentuated by the dog's inclusion, it's head resting on the boys knee.
Rockwell concentrated on faces and hands as they were the most expressive features in his work.
When you think this was the standard of work he turned out every week for decades and just for a magazine cover.

 

They're fabulous.

Can you put up more pics by him?

 

I could, but there are so many.
It would be easier for you clicking on this link and choosing your own.
I searched for the two from there and downloaded them to "Image shack."
A search of the correct title as each has one, would find particular ones more quickly, but I couldn't find a list.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB336&q=norman%20rockwell%20paintings&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

I've always enjoyed Norman Rockwell prints. Have a few back in our attic at home in Canada that were hung on walls. Always used to get calendar each year as well. I think that it was possibly his illustrations that gave the expression 'a picture is worth a thousand words'......thanks for sharing this with us!