Learning outcomes Artist Analysis

Title: The Homecoming Marine 1945

Artist: Norman Rockwell

Medium:  Oil on Canvas

Description

In this painting Rockwell presents the viewer with a scene in a Mechanics garage, it shows five adult men and two young boys enthralled by the story being told by the seated soldier.

The painting is composed in a way that allows the viewer to be drawn in, and feel part of this intimate discussion. The use of negative space in the bottom left hand side of the canvas, allows the viewer to feel like he can  pull up a chair and become involved in the discussion.

The painting is harshly lit by the windows at the back of the painting, and this adds real depth to the image highlighting and picking out the individual characters in the composition. This helps to strengthen and give reason pictorially to the characters being there, showing that as a group of individuals they have come together in the painting to support the returning soldier.

Analysis

Viewing the painting it is clear the artist has used a Fibonacci curve to draw the eye into the centre of the compostion.The contrast in the painting and the use of light, in particular rim light that has been generated by the sunlight coming through the rear window off the garage helps to focus the viewers’ attention to the seated soldier on the left hand side of the painting.

This is further accentuated by Rockwell’s use of key colour, he uses red initially to draw the eye to the soldier’s hands grasping the flag, once we see the flag our eye is drawn elsewhere in the composition to pick up on other pictorial clues that hint at and add to the story behind the painting.

Our eye is drawn using red again to the back wall and the “war hero garage mechanic” newsprint, but strangely though we read the text we are not really being given the heroic scenario we would expect.

Clearly a lot of time and effort has gone into the planning the pose of the characters, and Rockwell has chosen to illustrate all ages off man in the painting, from the strange almost quizzical look of the younger children to the dumbstruck realisation of the seated post master. It is clear from his expression he may have been in a similar situation before.

The painting is executed in a semi realistic manner, and uses a massive amount off symbols throughout to add visual interest to the piece, this is one of the key reasons the painting was chosen as from an artistic point of view, the idea you can tell a story by the placing of key objects is important in the creation of concept art whether it is for Games or film pre-production.

Interpretation

In this painting Rockwell is clearly trying to convey the realisation of what it means to go to war, but in a really well controlled but highly emotional way.

The piece is indeed sombre in its pallete a lot of subdued tones give the painting a very grounded feel and this adds to the seriousness of the situation being described on the canvas.

The artist is clearly taking the viewer through all aspects of the human condition and presents us with an image that will have been seen on numerous occasions, when soldiers have returned from the conflict.

The pose of the returning “hero” for me is where the artist is really questioning what it means to be heroic. His pose isn’t what we would normally associate with the idea of being a hero, he is not elevated and shown dominating the composition instead he is portrayed in a very humble almost apologetic pose, this is where Rockwell is playing with the idea of heroism and showing us that actually being perceived as a hero effects people in a whole host of ways.

Judgement

I find the piece to be an interesting comment on society, and the effect war has on communities.

The painting is full of symbolism and is painted in a semi realistic technique, and does stand out as a competent and important piece of artwork that clearly portrays the human condition and that definatly steps away from some of the more illustrational pieces of Rockwell’s early more “chocolate box” artwork, and for me sets him out as a great political painter.

As an artist I appreciate Rockwell’s attention to detail and his exquisite use of composition in this paiting.It is an artwork that you see something new every time you look at the piece, whether it be from seeing a new symbol, or the way he has described some of the clutter in the background of the garage, it is an image that clearly illustrates a key moment in time, that throughout our lives we will all find ourselves in similar situations.