Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978). A Scout is Friendly, 1943. Oil on canvas. 33 x 22 inches (83....

Description

Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)
A Scout is Friendly, 1943
Oil on canvas
33 x 22 inches (83.8 x 55.9 cm)
Signed lower right: Norman / Rockwell

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

LITERATURE:
Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1943, n.p., illustrated;
W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, p. 136;
M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, p. 222, fig. 8-22, illustrated;
L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 276-77, no. A63, illustrated;
J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, pp. 42-3, illustrated.

In the Scout Oath for the BSA, a scout pledges to obey the Scout Law: twelve points to strive towards and live up to every day. Today, the fourth point states that a scout is friendly: "Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you." To illustrate this, Norman Rockwell shows a young scout assisting an elderly couple, grandchild in tow. Together, the scout and grandfather review a map, making sure they're on the right path. The grandson looks up admiringly at this helpful stranger as his grandmother holds him close.

Using the skills given to him by his troop, this scout bridges a generational divide, acting as a friend to the old couple and a role model to the young boy. His training makes him a leader beyond his years, his very presence strengthening the community around him. Even for Rockwell the symbolism is less than subtle: this young man in uniform, a flag bearer, points out the way forward on an American roadmap to a multigenerational audience. In the bottom right, however, the tableau is framed by headlines in the New York Herald Tribune reflecting a world at war. The weight of this brief glimpse of the world outside the painting grounds the scene. The idealistic depiction of a young leader becomes a call to action against the fear and uncertainty of a nation flung into war.

So many of Rockwell's paintings present a model to strive towards, either in ourselves or for the world around us. In this way, he is the perfect artist to depict Scout Law. By their oath, scouts promise to do their best; to be a living embodiment of the values they want to see in their community. Through his artwork, Rockwell strives to do that same thing by showing us which road to take.


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

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