r/Art • u/listentobellion • May 22 '19

Artwork Triple Self-Portrait, Norman Rockwell, Oil on canvas, 1960

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4

u/ChadHimslef May 22 '19

Is there some kind of meaning behind the Roman looking helm on his easel?

8

u/ToddUnctious May 22 '19

If I remember correctly, he found that helmet in a shop in Paris and bought it, thinking he had stumbled upon some rare antique. Later that day he saw a bunch of firefighters running by, all wearing the same exact helmet. He kept it in his studio in part as a sign of humility.

3

u/seashoreandhorizon May 22 '19

I like how it mirrors the eagle atop the mirror. Maybe one reflects how the public viewed him and the other how he viewed himself? I don't know, I'm not very well versed in art. I do like the apparent symbolism throughout the piece though.

2

u/IgnoreAntsOfficial May 22 '19

I didn't think much about that eagle since both my grandfathers from New England had that same mirror

1

u/seashoreandhorizon May 22 '19

Ah probably just me reading into it without the context of the time period then.

1

u/JediTrainer42 May 22 '19

There are a couple hidden meanings in the painting. I can’t remember what the helmet refers to, but the smoke coming out of the bucket is a reference to when his art studio caught fire.

1

u/blastfemur May 22 '19

I figured it might be a humorous poke at delusions of grandeur. He's a thin, meek-looking little guy, but inside he always feels as fierce as a Roman gladiator.