Flowers in Tender Bloom 1955

Norman Rockwell, the great chronicler of small-town American life, created this image of youthful courtship, Flowers in Tender Bloom, in the first half of the 20th century, using oil on canvas. Rockwell, who made his name at the Saturday Evening Post, consistently portrayed the United States as a place of innocence and wholesome values. But it's also important to realize that the scenes that Rockwell painted were carefully staged. Here, the couple in their Sunday best, with a dog at their feet, might be read as an argument for the traditional nuclear family. This image is also a reminder that for much of the 20th century, the media industries in the US sought to build a national consensus around social and political values. To understand Rockwell fully, it's helpful to examine the social and cultural history of illustration, including the magazines and advertising agencies that supported his work. In this way, we can see how images participated in the construction of American identity.