Boy Holding Peanut Butter Jar 1963

Editor: This is Norman Rockwell's "Boy Holding Peanut Butter Jar," painted in 1963 using oil paint. There's something about the expressions – almost secretive – that intrigues me. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s fascinating how Rockwell captures these quiet moments, isn't it? For me, this piece speaks volumes about the burgeoning consumer culture of the 1960s, but also about the cultural constructs surrounding gender. Look at the contrast, not just in hair color but the almost coy positioning of the woman in comparison to the…almost conspiratorial stance of the male. Does this work perhaps, reinforce gender roles present within advertisement? Editor: I hadn’t considered the gender dynamics so explicitly. I was mostly seeing a straightforward advertisement piece and you are leading me into an additional, second layer, to contemplate that Rockwell is doing more than celebrating Skippy peanut butter. Curator: Consider the context. What’s being sold here isn’t just peanut butter. It’s a lifestyle, a vision of American normalcy and domestic bliss marketed aggressively toward white middle-class families. Are these images innocent, or are they quietly upholding a certain ideal of life that excludes many? And who, at the time, would benefit most from these implicit norms and customs? Editor: I see what you mean. By placing this simple, ostensibly harmless image in a larger, intersectional context, it allows us to reconsider the narratives and values promoted by such advertisements at the time and consider our response to these works, even now. Thanks, it makes me see it in a completely different way. Curator: Precisely! It's about questioning the narratives embedded in the art we consume. Art gives us an avenue to reflect on the forces that shape us, our worldviews, and identities. And delicious Skippy's aside, Rockwell's piece makes an opening to encourage this thinking and growth.