The artwork “Before and After” was created by the American artist Norman Rockwell in 1958. Crafted in oil on canvas, it stands as a prime example of the Regionalism movement, featuring the distinctively American flavor of Rockwell’s genre paintings. The artwork measures 106.5 x 132 cm and presently belongs to a private collection.
The composition of “Before and After” is centered around a male figure sitting in a chair in the foreground, flanked by a large campaign poster that bears his magnified smiling portrait with the slogan “Elect Casey.” The individual portrayed appears tired and disheveled, contrasting the polished image presented on the poster. Around him, the scene is one of disarray, with scattered campaign materials and signs of a seemingly hectic political campaign environment. The setting suggests a polling station, where numerous voters are queuing in the background, paying no heed to the man in the chair, suggesting perhaps the fleeting nature of political campaigns and the eventual return to anonymity that can follow. The intricate details and the storytelling elements are typical of Rockwell’s ability to capture candid moments of American life with humor, irony, and a touch of sentimentality.