This is Aravis' description of her favorite picture by this term's artist, Norman Rockwell:
The poignant Little
Girl Looking Into Mirror was certainly one of my favorite Rockwell
paintings from this term. A little girl sits outside on the grass, before a
gold-framed mirror tilted against a chair. Her abandoned doll lies against the
mirror, with one foot on either side of the frame. The girl, her hair pulled up
into pigtails, scrutinizes her own face carefully; she appears to compare it to
that of a woman in the book spread on her lap. She does not look either pleased
or displeased with the comparison, merely thoughtful.
In class, I heard many theories
about the symbolism of the picture. The book in the girl’s lap might be a
magazine with a beautiful movie star in it, or a photo album with a portrait of
her mother; perhaps the girl wonders whether she will grow up to look like a
famous lady, or like her own mother. The doll represents the girl herself – alone
and thoughtful, with one foot in adulthood and one in childhood. The mirror
also represents this: the elegant frame and spotless glass rest against a red
wicker-bottomed chair outside in the backyard. There is a quiet tension to the
picture, as the girl contemplates her move from child to young lady.
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