HISTOIRE DES ARTS 2015
XXème siècle
Triple Self-Portrait
Triple Self-portrait
by Norman Rockwell, 1960
oil on canva, 113,5x87,5cm
The Artist
Norman Rockwell was an American painter and illustrator from New York. He did more than 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post (a very famous newspaper/magazine). Most of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations show his sense of humour and love of people. He managed to tell stories without words. He really paid attention to details. His paintings look so real that you could think they are photographs . In the 1950s, he was considered as the most popular American artist.
His Style
His technique Norman Rockwell’s covers are illustrations : they have to illustrate the issues tackled in the magazine. His illustrations could be caricatural (people loved it).
NR was deeply inspired by American naturalism : it depicts the everyday life of middle-class Americans, rather than historical scenes (à see Edouard Hopper).
Rockwell was also inspired by photography. From 1930, he started to use photographs as starting points to his work. (à see hyperrealism)
Choose 3 words which best describe NR’s style: ………………………………………………………………….
His Technique
He started by choosing a subject. He drew several sketches with pencil. Then, he took a paper which was the same size (= dimensions) as the final canva and he did a charcoal drawing.
Finally, he copied it out on the canva and he started to paint : “oil on canva”
Triple Self-Portrait
It was the 308th cover illustration for the Saturday Evening Post (February 13th, 1960). At this time, Norman Rockwell was very popular so the S.E.P. decided to publish his autobiography (“My Adventures as an Illustrator” written by NR and his son”)
Description
We can see NR painting himself as many artists did before him (see Poussin, Manet, Picasso). It is an oil on canva (size: 113,5 cm x 87,5 cm). The artist is sitting on a stool with his back to us. He is facing a canva and leans to see his reflection in a mirror which is on a chair on his left. His right hand is raised, it carries a brush placed on the canva, where the artist is doing his black and white portrait. The image in the mirror corresponds to the reflection of the painter (same size, colours and posture). He is wearing glasses (we can’t see his eyes) and he is smoking a pipe.
Find 3 differences between the painter’s reflection in the mirror and the portrait he is doing :
Reflection in the mirror Black and white portrait
1 The pipe is not straight The pipe is straight
2 He looks older He looks younger
3 He is wearing glasses He is not wearing glasses
On Rockwell’s easel, are pinned photos of self-portraits by (from top to bottom) : Dürer, Rembrandt, Picasso and Van Gogh (see more about their self-portraits + what do they represent here?).
Details which attract the viewer’s eye: 1- the (smoking) trash can 2- the golden eagle 3- the glass of coke 4- the helmet 5- the famous self-portraits 6- the sketches
The main colours are :
Colour I can see that colour on ….
1 gold the mirror frame, the helmet, the trash can
2 blue the artist’s shirt
3 Red / white the chair, the cushion / the canva, the reflection
What can you say about the artist’s signature ?
- The signature appears on the flattering painting, not on the “real” one. The black and white portrait is supposed to be the official one.
How many portraits can you see ? Explain.
Which portrait do you prefer ? Which one is the best ? The most flattering ? The most official ? etc
1 - the reflection in the mirror
2 - the painter with his back to us
3 - the drawing on the canva
4 - the whole picture (combination of portraits)
What can you say about the construction of the painting ?
Interpretation
What is a “mise-en-abîme” ? a play within a play, a book within a book, a self-portrait within a self-portrait etc …
- see Johannes Gump (17th century)
We don’t know which portrait is the “real” one. The portrait which first catches the eye of the viewer is the one on the easel. It is supposed to be the “official” one (and it is signed). It is surrounded by a nice frame but it is not finished. This portrait is how the artist wants the viewer to see him.
Is this portrait realistic ?……………………………………………………………………………………………...........................
The portrait in the mirror is more realistic and less flattering
(give examples :…………...…………………………………............…………………………………………….............................)
Here, the artist is represented as he sees himself. We can’t see his eyes : he is hiding his soul.
A part of his reflection is hidden by the “painting”. How can you interpret that fact ?
…………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................
The portrait of the painter with his back to us is even less flattering : he is sitting astride a stool. His legs are spread à he is focused on his work and he doesn’t know we are looking at him : he is not trying to look good. It is an intimate moment. à see self-portraits by Francis Bacon.
This painting is very complex because there are different levels of reality. The painter encourages us to think about the authenticity of his representations. Maybe the only “real” portrait of the artist is the combination of the 3 representations. He also shows that artists lie when they represent themselves (subjective vision) à see “pacte autobiographique”. However, in this painting, we can also see his opinion about himself : he doesn’t seem to like himself very much (his reflection in the mirror is almost caricatural … is he making fun of himself ?). Norman Rockwell also offers us an insight into the secret of art creation (intimacy).