Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978). The Right Way, 1955. Oil on canvas. 36 x 30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm). Signed lower...

Description

Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)
The Right Way, 1955
Oil on canvas
36 x 30 inches (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
Signed lower left: Norman / Rockwell

Property from the BSA Settlement Trust, Sold for the Benefit of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

EXHIBITED:
National Scouting Museum, Murray, Kentucky, n.d.

LITERATURE:
Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1955, n.p., illustrated;
Boys' Life Magazine, The Boy Scouts of America, New York, February 1955, cover;
T. Buechner, Norman Rockwell: Artist & Illustrator, New York, 1970, p. 4, illustrated;
W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, p. 137, illustrated;
M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, pp. 226-27, fig. 8-39, illustrated;
L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 282-83, no. A75, illustrated;
J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, pp. 66-67, illustrated.

In the Boy Scouts of America, Norman Rockwell finds messengers of leadership, loyalty, and community. With The Right Way, Rockwell shows us how knowledge and guidance help shape the world around us. Even a simple crafting project in his hands becomes a model for something much greater.

The stage is a simple red bench. Two young Cub Scouts flank a Boy Scout as he demonstrates how to build a birdhouse. A handbook rests open on his knee as he points out a detail on the house in hand, a larger one rests at his feet. Behind him stands an older boy leaning on a hiking staff with a trapper basket on his back. The winged anchor on his shoulder marks him as an Explorer, a member of the program for more senior scouts. He watches intently as the lesson unfolds.

The hierarchy of the scouts is on clear display here. Knowledge from the book is shared and dispensed to the younger boys as the scout in the middle assumes the role of teacher. The older Explorer stands above, overseeing this process, guiding his troop mate to become a leader in his own right. The lessons and tools shared here with the young cubs will empower them to tackle their own projects. The house may start small, a simple shelter, but one day these scouts will be building their communities.

These boys learn to work together by the book. They learn to ask for help and give it in turn. They strengthen the bonds of the troop and the bonds of society outside the scouts. These are the ideals that Rockwell saw in the BSA. He captured their lessons and methods on canvas to share with the world. With his paintings modeling this virtuous behavior, 'these democratic ideals,' Rockwell showed us all how to do it "the right way".


More information about Norman Rockwell. See also: Rockwell, Norman, Rockwell, Norman Perceval Artist.

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