This caricature, is inspired by the Norman Rockwell’s famous painting « The Runaway », denounces one more of police blunders, to the black community, in the United States. In E December 23rd, 2014, a white policeman, to fire on 12times, on a young black, who are not armed. The police gave a different version: the young person would have threatened both policemen, with a firearm, and it was thus of the self-defense « .

On this caricature, we see a black child, look innocent and afraid, without any weapon. Next to him, a policeman excessively armed, is looking threatening to the child. In front of them, the barman, seems collusive in the policeman.

These kinds of police blunders are frequent in the United States. Indeed, it is caused by rests of racial hatred. So, it’s not for nothing, that they chosed a Norman Rockwell’s painting, which has denounced, a lot of time, the segregation and the racism in its paintings.

This document is an oil painting by Norman Rockwell called « Freedom from want », made in 1943. The painting shows a classical american family at Thanksgiving when a turkey is traditionnaly served during the meal. The guests are very well dressed and hair brushed. The dishes are made of porcelain and the glasses of crystal glass. There is a perfect harmony between the guests. The grandfather is represented as the head of the family. The grandfather and the grandmother standing in the triangle which is a sign of grandness. The turkey is the focal point of the table. The character who is looking toward the viewer seems to invite him to the meal. Today, this painting can be seen at Norman Rockwell museum, in Stockbridge, in Masachussets.

This document is a cover paint by Norman Rockwell and it is entitled « Chain of Gossip ». The document comes from the magazine « Saturday evening post » of the march 6, 1948. This painting shows the distribution of a gossip by our-self, by all people, so we can see a chain of people, of 15 persons represent two time. The chain start in the top left-hand corner and follow the writing direction.

We can easily imagine that the first apparition of the character is for listen and the second apparition is for talk about the gossip except for the first character because she says the gossips then at the end she has abused by the man.

At the start, a woman say to an other woman something that she shouldn’t repeat but she repeat this and from gossip to gossip this thing arrive to Norman (the 14th person) who turn around the first women who is shocked because maybe she didn’t wait at this.

The morality that the painter would to do show is that we mustn’t say things which can hurt somebody and we mustn’t repeat this things!

I like this painting because it is funny but it shows a real problem

The contract of our Indian assistant unfortunately came to an end right before the holidays…what a pity! The pupils really liked her and she always proposed nice activities! We wanted to make her a little surprise for the last class and the euro students offered her some presents: a teddy bear (called Maxence), a white scarf, and a mug with a picture of the class on it. Pujasree was really touched by this attention!

We made some pictures and hope that we will have the opportunity to see her again… either in Lille or in Calcutta!

Goodbye Pujasree! We’ll miss you!!!

Norman Rockwell

«?Boys playing Leapfrog?»

This is a painting by Norman Rockwell in 1919 intituled «?Boys Playing Leapfrog?». We can see two boys and one dog. I think they are happy because one of the boy is jumping over the other boy. The dog is running and he is open his mouth, with his thongue outside. So we can think he is happy too.

This two guys, are enjoy with a little thing. And we mustn’t have a lot and a lot toys.

So, for me, Norman Rockwell want say, « If, you haven’t a lot toys, you can nevertheless enjoy your life with nothing ».

For me, the painting is a message for everybody to show the reality, and show to every children, we need not 36 000 toys, and play with other child outside is very more funny than play in his/her bedroom lonely.

Chloé Wastiaux

This painting is the first of the four freedoms paintings by Norman Rockwell that were inspired by Unites States’ president in the State of the Union Address, known as Four Freedoms, he delivered on January 6, 1941.

Freedom of Speech  was published in the February 20, 1943 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post with a matching essay by Booth Tarkington as part of the Four Freedoms series.

The scene takes place during a local town meeting. There is a man who is standing and talk in the middle. He wear a dirty coat, his hands are dirty and his face too, he looks young, whereas the others men are very clean and wear white shirts, jackets and ties and look older than the other man. They are look at the first man who is speaking.

The man who is in the middle is Jim Edgerton. He’s the only dissident of the new plans by the towns councilors. Edgerton is depicted in a way that resembles Abraham Lincoln.

RUSSIAN SCHOOLROOM  

.This painting is an oil on convas painting by Norman Rockwell in 1967.
The title is Russian Schoolroom.

.Russian Schoolroom depicts a group of Soviet pupils in their classroom.
They’re probably looking at their teacher who’s not in the painting.
We can see a bust of Lenin, with flowers around, who’s partially visible there,

.This painting is divided into two parts :

Fist, in the foreground, we can see children who’re probably listening to their teacher, and who’re really quiet, with their hand on the desk.
The boy on the left is wearing a blue uniform and a red scarf around his neck.
Next to him, there ‘s a girl.
She’s wearing a black uniform and a red scarf too.
There ‘re really serious.
In the background, we can see children who’re listening to the teacher…And a pupil who is looking outside.
In fact, it depicts students seated at their desks, looking in the direction of a bust of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, except for one student gazing out a window.

It’s like the boy doesn’t care of the autority, he’s not like his classmates.

‘’Happy Birthday Miss Jones’’

1) Introduce the picture

This document is an oil painting by Norman Rockwell entitled ‘’ Happy Birthday Miss Jones’’. It was painted in 1956 by Norman Rockwell. This painting appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening post published on March , 1956. The original oil painting belongs to film maker : George Lucas.

2) The topic

This painting represents a perfect 50s american classroom . The pupils wrote messages for their teacher’s birthday on the blackboard. It’s a surprise for their teacher.

3) Describe the picture

This oil painting is divided into 3 parts :

– In the foureground we can see the pupils

– In the middle ground we can see the desk with the presents

– In the background we can see the teacher and the blackboard

The scene takes place in an american classroom with pupils sitting patiently in front of their teacher. The teacher has just arrived, she is holding her hat and her coat. She is looking at her pupils with a little kind smile : she has discovered the blackboard with birthday wishes. The teacher and pupils are nice and properly dressed. On the wooden desk, there are some presents for the teacher : orange, apple, flowers and paquetages. One of the children have a blackboard eraser on the top of his head, an other eraser and a chalk are on the floor in front of the teacher. On the left of painting, we can see a piece of American flag.

We can remark that all the children look at their teacher and teacher looks at her pupils, they look at each others, and these regards draw a triangle in the painting. The others lines in the painting, are horizontal and vertical (blackboard and wall).

4)Analyze and interpret

We can easily imagine that Norman Rockwell wanted to paint a lovely and ideal classroom with cute pupils and a kind and respectable teacher. There is a lot of tenderness in this scene. The teacher sems so tall, it’s because she’s the main character in this oil painting.

I’m surprised to see only white people on this oil painting. During the fifties, there was racism in America, so this painting shows us the segregation : black children didn’t go to school with white children. White people were considered superior race. The flag shows the American patriotism during the cold wear.

5) My feelings

I think this painting represents very well the american school during the fifties : white pupils with a lovely female teacher. I think it’s a stereotyp image of an ideal school. We can oppose this oil painting with an other painting : ‘’The problem we all live with’’.

In the second oil painting, going to school is a real problem because the little girl is black.

This oil painting has been made by Norman Rockell in 1958, no we can see it in Norman Rockell Museum in Stockbridge. It’s call « Before the shot » because it pictures a doctor who is going to vaccin a little boy. He had made 4 years after the first vaccin for poliomyélite to show that the science progress. It’s Jonas Salk, an american who found it.

On this painting we can see the doctor who is prepare the vaccin and the boy on the right, who is waiting the doctor, standing on a chair and starting remove his clothes. He is looking at a paper on the wall, it’s maybe the doctor’s graduate.We can think they are in the doctor’s office.