English
Norman Rockwell
The Runaway, c. 1958
Cover illustration for the The Saturday Evening Post (1958)
Oil on canvas
[NARRATOR] In this scene, Rockwell includes one bright red object, to catch our eye. It’s the sack of the boy’s belongings—showing us that he’s a runaway. The pole in it points right at the kindly state trooper… and he here is:
[Dick Clemens] My name is Richard Clemens, I’m formerly with the Massachusetts State Police and it was my honor to have been asked to pose in one of Mr. Rockwell’s paintings. We were neighbors in Stockbridge, we lived about three houses apart. And he came to me and said that he had an idea for a painting that involved a police officer and would I be willing to pose for the painting.
We met at the appointed time, and he indicated he wanted us to sit on the stools as they appear. And he took photographs in various poses; we sat with our arms down, arms up; at the time I didn’t know that my memo book was sticking out my back pocket. If I had known that I probably would have taken the book out. He was great for detail; you can even see the laces of my boots. And if you look really closely, even, in the chrome strip on the stool, he’s even painted in there what the reflection was through the windows out front. Which is amazing to me.
[NARRATOR] The boy in the scene must have reminded Norman Rockwell of…. himself! Rockwell reminisced that when he was 7, he also ran away from home. But he didn’t make it as far as a rural diner, as this boy did. Instead, Rockwell remembered that he quote “mooned around…kicking stones…. Pretty soon it began to get dark and a cold wind sprang up and moaned in the trees. So I went home.”
Family
Norman Rockwell
The Runaway, c. 1958
Cover illustration for the The Saturday Evening Post (1958)
Oil on canvas
[NARRATOR, CHARACTER OF ROCKWELL] By including the sack on the floor—and painting it bright red– I wanted everyone to see that this boy has run away from home. He’s made it as far as a local diner. He looks kind of worried– but the guy behind the counter looks like he’s trying to help, doesn’t he? The policeman who’s sat down next to the boy has such a kind face. Oh, wait….here he is!
[Dick Clemens] My name is Richard Clemens, I’m formerly with the Massachusetts State Police and it was my honor to have been asked to pose in one of Mr. Rockwell’s paintings.
[NARRATOR] Oh, I remember him well– he was my neighbor here in Stockbridge. I knew I wanted a policeman in this painting, so I asked him to pose. I told him to meet me at a local diner… and I had him try on his different uniforms, sit with his arms up….his arms down…. a very patient fellow!
[Dick Clemens] At the time I didn’t know that my memo book was sticking out my back pocket. If I had known that I probably would have taken the book out. He was great for detail; you can even see the laces of my boots. And if you look really closely, even, in the chrome strip on the stool, he’s even painted in there what the reflection was through the windows out front. Which is amazing to me.
[NARRATOR] And did you notice that the stick from the boy’s sack points directly at my kindly police officer friend?
[Dick Clemens] Police offers today are the same as they were in my day; they certainly like to talk to children and help people any way they can. And kids are very special to them.