Blog 177 - Gopulu and Norman Rockwell - Artists Viewing Life Through Different 'Scopes, Different Eras and Different Cultures (2 of 2)
Gopulu and Norman Rockwell. One illustrated for the weekly Tamil magazine "Ananda Vikatan" in India, a 100 years old this year, while the other was the illustrator (for a major portion of his life) for the "Saturday Evening Post", a magazine started by Benjamin Franklin in 1728, making it almost 300 years old. 30 years, 2 vast oceans, an ages old civilisation and tradition separating the two, culturally vastly different, one having seen both world wars, but bound by the vibrancy they both brought to the table in their illustrations, describing events completely dissimilar but bound by their love for art.
I have shown only a microcosm of a few selected works of theirs and I had the tough task of choosing from thousands of them. It is not that the ones that appear below - or those that were portrayed in the previous chapter - are their best works. Many were far finer than the ones chosen. I deign to say that I chose the ones that struck a chord in me.
This blog is in two halves, the first showing some of Gopulu's illustrations, folllowed by Norman Rockwell's unique paintings. Almost all comments are mine alone.
Respecting the Elderly
Unlike in the modern era, the old were a part and parcel of everyday life in a household. They were well looked after. They played with the grand children and taught them Hindu prayers, told them stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. This scene is missing in today's nuclear family.
Grandma scolding Grandpa for taking snuff.
As a contrast, a more modern couple, the wife silently objecting to the pipe smoking of her husband.
Deepavali sweets are being prepared. Note the coal fired ''Kumutti' (oven) (no gas in those days) in the foreground. The picture spans three generations. The old lady is the matriarch of the house - her husband (not in the picture) is living, denoted by the vermilion on her forehead. She is preparing the raw material for the sweets which are being fried in hot oil in the 'tava'. The elder daughter-in-law is doing the frying, while the younger is watching the proceedings. The children, enraptured, are looking on.
A Modern Woman of that Era
Young Girls of that era, in traditional dress for Deepavali. As far as dressing for Deepavali, nothing much has changed.
Life in a Railway Station
The family in the forefront is carrying 22 items of luggage. The man in the black coat and dhoti is, obviously, the head of the household. The way he is dressed was typical of the 1950s and before and shows him to be an office bearer of some substance. There are 4 children involved, all grandchildren, with the latest addition being held by the grandmother, who is talking to the daughter. The daughter is carrying a cheap handbag and a ‘kooja’ ( a vessel with a screwed down lid mostly used for buying coffee off the platforms at various stations). The eldest grand daughter is tugging at the coat of the grandfather to complain about the other two grandsons who are precariously bending over at the edge of the platform, about to fall. The son-in-law, just behind the coated gentleman, is reading a magazine, least bothered with the tumult all around, typical of the sons-in-law of those days. The family is carrying 22 pieces of luggage. Beyond them is a ‘laddu’ seller, to the right a ‘coolie’ carrying a trunk and bedding. Those days bedding was not offered by the railways. You could differentiate a civilian from an armed forces man from the bedding - the armed forces man will be carrying a ‘hold all’ instead of ordinary bedding. (I recognise this platform. Most likely, this is Platform No. 3 in Central Station, Chennai).
The station is Mayavaram, famous for its 'degree' filter coffee. The coffee seller is running after the departing train to retrieve the ‘tumbler ~ dabbara’ (a stainless steel combination of a deep cup and a deep saucer) and also his money. (Glasses were not in use those days).
Raja Raja Cholan, Ruler of th Chola Empire, watching the rise of the famous Thanjavur temple.
Norman Rockwell
Norman Perceval Rockwell, (3 Feb 1894 ~ 8 Nov 1978) "The Saturday Evening Post"’s most famous illustrator, is considered by many to be one of America's greatest artists. He was a master storyteller via canvas and paint, and his works, capturing the triumphs and foibles of the common man, are as popular today as they were in decades past.
Painted for the August 24th, 1940 cover of The Saturday Evening Post, timed to coincide with the return of the millions of children who were sent off to summer camp, Girl Returning from Camp depicts a young camper, bedecked in her camp uniform. She is waiting to be collected after a summer at ‘Camp Out O’ Doors,’ as denoted on her rucksack. Her entire outfit is painted in a deep brown
Note the reaction of all persons, with his girlfriend shyly looking out from the left corner
The last in a series of three April Fool's Day themed covers, this illustration is a visual puzzle of absurdities and deliberate mistakes. This scene is a classic example of Norman Rockwell's subtle wit and humor. Some curiosities are obvious enough, but others are well disguised and not apparent at first glance.
Herein lies the sad but historic story of segregation.
Ruby Bridges is the 6-year-old Black girl who had to be escorted to school by U.S. Marshals in 1960.
The Historic Date: On November 14, 1960, she became the first African American child to integrate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Escort: Four U.S. Deputy Marshals (including Herschel Garner and Charles Burks) walked her through a violent, screaming crowd of segregationist protesters.
First-Grade Isolation: Other parents pulled their children out of school, leaving Ruby completely alone in a classroom taught by a brave white teacher named Barbara Henry for the entire year.
Cultural Impact: Her walk to school inspired Norman Rockwell’s famous 1964 painting, The Problem We All Live With.
Later Honors: On August 10, 2000, she was sworn in as an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal.
In New Orleans segregation in schools was prevalent as early as 1841. But it was not until the 1860’s when the state constitution had officially banned segregation in schools including the discrimination in the acceptance process of students. This was a movement forward, but it was also a time full of hatred from the parents’ efforts to stop integration. It created an environment full of fear for colored students.
After Bridges started to attend the school she had to face protestors. Hundreds of people protested the fact that they did not want their children to share a classroom with a colored student. She was not alone though. She was escorted by the brave men of the U.S. Marshals Service who did their best to block and protect her from the hatred that surrounded her. United States Marshals Herschel Garner, Charles Burks, and others took the initiative to be the escorts of the girls in New Orleans. They steered the little girls clear, through the loud voices filled with rage. The protestors would go so far as to even throw things at both her and the other girls, and their parents just because of their skin color.
One woman protester maliciously brought a black doll in a wooden coffin to “welcome” Ruby before she started her day at school. Scenes like these have become etched in our history.
Children around our nation learn about the struggles of the Civil Rights Era. Norman Rockwell’s painting, “The Problem We All Live With” captures that history. The painting not only displays Bridges' courageousness, but also the heinous acts of the people of that time.
Rockwell’s painting also depicts the symbol of protection the Deputy Marshals have within them.
I hope that you have enjoyed this off beat blog as much as I did.
AR
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