In my bedroom, there is a
framed copy of one of Norman Rockwell’s Saturday
Evening Post covers. Titled Girl at
the Mirror, this painting depicts a young girl contemplating her own reflection.
Rockwell’s details capture the poignancy and uncertainty of growing up.
Painted in 1954, the
scene is mostly dark, with the brightest part of the composition focused on the
young girl and her reflection. She has a magazine opened up on her lap that
reveals a movie star. Scattered on the floor is lipstick and a brush, while a discarded
doll is off the side. The way that these details are juxtaposed makes it immediately
apparent that this girl is on the verge of leaving behind her childhood toys
and her innocent unawareness of her appearance, and entering into the stage of
her life where Hollywood and advertisers’ ideas of beauty are suddenly powerful
forces in the understanding of identity.
Rockwell’s use of color
and lighting, along with the sad and anxious facial expression of the girl, are
important components of this painting that reflect a depressing mood. The dark
colors blend to contrast with the soft white that the girl is wearing. While the
child is pure, the world around her is dark and gloomy. These details are
representative of the juxtaposition between childhood and womanhood that is
being depicted in the painting.
The girl is inevitably
transitioning out of childhood and is faced with the harsh expectations and
realities of growing up. Rockwell’s depiction of this is a work of realism that
has and will continue to be relative in society and pop culture.
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