The painting of focus in this particular discussion is the problem we all live with painting by Norman Rockwell unleashed in the year of 1964. The painting focuses on the civil rights movement in the 1960s and the issues that surrounded the social stratification and regionalism between the different races in the United States. The painting depicts four adult individuals and a small girl walking towards a particular direction. The look of the painting portrays the adult individuals like they are escorting the girl child and protecting her form a particular situation or condition.
The artist provides a clear illustration of the situation form the picture setting given the setup of the colors and the features on the background as well. The contrast in the painting covers and represents a pronounced balance, for instance, for the girl in the picture; named Ruby Bridges, a six year old African American is portrayed having a white dress on to show the opposite contrast with her black color. The contrasted coloring aids in drawing our attention to the girl first. This form of saturation on the painting is also shown and represented on the surrounding seen in the bright coloring areas different for the grey scale of the entire painting. These entail the yellow armbands which one notes on the painting, the book the girl is holding and the smashed tomato in the background.
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The mentioned notices on the painting tell a story about this painting. The book and ruler the girl holds automatically hints one that the girl is walking from or to an academic institution, preferably a school. The other characteristic features portrayed in the painting are the yellow armbands branded on the adult individual arms suits. Taking a closer look one can read the bands and see the writing U.S. Marshal therefore depicting the individuals as officers of the law, who are marching while, protecting the girl child from the mob not shown on the painting.
The examination of the painting suggests that there is mob from which the girl, Ruby, is being protected from. This is shown by the smashed tomato on the wall which also suggests that, the vegetable fruit was thrown at someone prior to that event. Since the painting depicts an old side walk, the artist engages us with the coloring contrast from the given neutral setting, for instance like the Marshals suits.
Another detailed section that I noticed on the picture was the technique to suspense symbolization which is noted by the powerful attitude seen in the US Marshals marching posture and the fact that their heads are left out of the painting showcases that the anonymity of the individuals only leaves us with the suggestion that they are law administrators. They are faceless law forces of justice guaranteeing that a court order is enforced, despite the fury of the hidden, shattering crowd.
This also somewhat noticeable in the left-most marshal’s pocket where there is a shiny perceptible metallic budge signifying the deputies. The four adult distinct figures form a protecting embankment around the little girl, and the first sign of their pressure or tension is depicted in their clenched right hands (fists). I would say the artist, Rockwell, focuses on the real points of the painting, subsequently illustrating an event attacking the issue of racism.
The painting or image is a strong symbolism of how there was a big issue surrounding racism in the mid-19th century and showcasing the progress the country was making towards the enactment of civil rights that supported all the walking races in the United States of America. The story in the picture telling us of how the girl had to be protected on her way to school from the crowd objecting the allowing of African American individuals mixing with the American natives for the first time in a public school.
The strong depiction of racism is also depicted by the violent and obscene words “nigger” is on the wall on the backend of the picture next to smashed tomato. There is also the word “KKK” to the left side of the lead marching Marshal, which clearly makes this painting to be topic focused on race and social relations. All these writings on the wall, the tomato smashing on the wall and the need for Marshals in the first place all point out and symbolizes on how the situation is quite tense.
The realistic nature of the painting portrays a convincing stylistic characterization of the empathy for the girl, and one would admire how much calm she is in a particular situation. She is the model for the painting while supporting the vignette of the painting in a very simple and strong way. The story narrates an actual event happening which is reinforced to carry the extra resonance for people from the United States.
Social commentaries about the picture explore on the level of segregation in the people in the United States after the World War II. The painting compels one to look at the scenario from a crowd’s point of view since one imagines there is a crowd of an angry mob watching the girl and throwing tomatoes and shouting at the Marshals as well. Conclusively, I would say the painting focuses on the issue of racism, since this is the main message illustrated and described in this particular painting. That is why it is a long standing picture in the history of the United States.
