Norman Rockwell referred to this painting informally as his "Reverend and Indian picture." It was never finished.[/caption]Deborah Solomon, the art critic and author of Norman Rockwell's most recent (2013) biography, discusses the subjects of his paintings and whatever else might be behind them.
In a previous post about Rockwell, I noted that he never finished a painting that featured John Sergeant and Konkapot. But it wasn't for lack of trying. Rockwell began the project several years before he died. What kind roadblock kept the painting from being finished? The explanation has a lot to do with Rockwell's inner life and relationship with his brother.
As Solomon (432) tells it, Rockwell "had never been nostalgic for his own childhood." He had no sisters and was not at all close to his only brother, Jarvis. Although he traveled a lot, Rockwell "did not go down to Florida for his brother's last illness or funeral" and when Jarvis died in 1973, "the brothers had not spoken for a long time."
Solomon continues (432-433):
Although Rockwell declined to articulate his feelings over his brother's death, he did make a painting during this period that seems to hint at their complicated relationship. He referred to it as his Reverend and Indian picture. It would consume him for many years and might be seen as a symbolic portrait of Rockwell (the prissy Reverend) and his brother (the strapping Indian).
Rockwell began the painting in 1972, but a year later, had made almost no progress on it.
On May 12, 1973, just three days after he learned of his brother's death, Rockwell wrote on his calendar "Very mixed up today but I will work it out. Tomorrow I get to work on Reverend and Indian picture. Bewildered"(quoted in Solomon 433).
In historical reality, Konkapot might not have been a lot taller than John Sergeant - but in the picture Konkapot is a lot taller than Sergeant. In historical reality, Konkapot was eighteen years older than Sergeant which is another thing that doesn't appear to be reflected in the artist's work. Instead of basing their work on rigorous historical research, artists often fall back on themes existing in their own psyches. Solomon notes that a familiar theme in Rockwell's work is to show "two men, one disproportionately larger than the other"(433).
In the end, Rockwell's "Reverend and Indian picture" says more about the artist himself than it does about Rev. Sergeant or Konkapot.
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