“Before the Shot”

IT IS EASY TO SEE THAT, had he not been a gifted artist, Norman Rockwell might well have become a successful writer or director for films or television. Situation comedy has been one of the most popular genres in both these mediums, and no one has a better knack for inventing comic situations than Rockwell. The scene he painted for the March 15, 1958, edition of the Post might have run into censorship problems from the Motion Picture Production Code, but otherwise it would work perfectly in a movie.

The boy, about to receive his shot, takes advantage of the fact that the doctor's back is turned to satisfy himself that the doctor's credentials arc in order. As usual in Rockwell's work, the single image suggests a whole sequence of events. We know what has gone before and what will come after. Another skill that Rockwell has in common with filmmakers is the ability to create an authentic setting for each

incident. In this case the setting is simple enough, but every detail is just right.

All of us have been in rooms like this, and we know that the artist has taken care to make it convincing.