Girl at the Mirror
Norman Rockwell welcomes
the viewer into his painting by giving us a place, a perspective.
The viewer stands surreptitiously behind the wary young girl, looking down
upon her and vicariously experiencing her moment of introspection. This
perspective not only makes the viewer feel welcome, but also offers a life-like
tangibility to the incident portrayed. Thus, the image has a powerful seductiveness
that draws the viewer in, especially the female viewer. This painting has
been termed the feminine counterpart to Breaking Home Ties. Every woman
can reflect upon her own coming of age in a demanding world of make-up
and unattainable beauty. The little girl looks at herself in the
propped-up mirror wondering if she is a woman yet, much like the viewer
now imagines herself to have done long ago. Thus, Norman Rockwell
connected to his audience by tapping into their common memories (whether
real or imagined) and by giving the viewer a place within his painting.
Fortunately, the seductiveness of Rockwell’s illustrations drew a wide
audience to the Post, channeling their deeply held emotions into an unrealized
desire to consume in a time of vulnerability and uncertainty.
Thus, we may speculate that Rockwell was a major contributor to the modern
advertising tradition.