The Muscleman 1941

Editor: We’re looking at Norman Rockwell’s 1941 painting, "The Muscleman". It's an oil on canvas. What strikes me is how universal this little scene is. A kid flexing, seeing himself as strong, even when, well, he's not quite there yet. It's just adorable and relatable. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, this just tickles my fancy! Rockwell was a master of capturing the bittersweet, wasn’t he? I see so much more than just a kid and his reflection. There’s the puppy, of course – a sidekick in this grand self-assessment. But look closer; the mirror doesn't just show what is, but what he *imagines* he is. Editor: You mean, he is performing? Curator: Exactly! We're all performing in a way, aren’t we? Especially for ourselves! The slightly too-big clothes, the earnest expression... he’s trying so hard to embody strength. What does it mean to perform strength in times of conflict, especially right before WWII? It also speaks to our perpetual project of constructing the “self” and negotiating identity through the mirror of popular culture. I wonder, how does the context of the time shift our understanding of his pose? Editor: Wow, I didn't think about the historical context. Now, thinking about his earnest expression I cannot stop seeing his sweet dreams and innocent attempts at manliness. Curator: Isn’t it a gem? Rockwell packs so much narrative punch into one frame. A humorous, and perhaps a touch heartbreaking, snapshot of growing up and facing the world, or our mirror images, one bicep at a time. Editor: I’ll definitely look at Rockwell with a different perspective now, so thank you for pointing that out!