“Courting Under the Clock at Midnight”

THIS IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF ROCKWELL's early cover art. Both situation and characters are beautifully conceived and executed to answer the demands of the medium. As the pendulum swings and the cuckoo emerges from its ornate lodging, the dapper young man—his hair just lightly ruffled—gasps in amazement, realizing that time has flown (as it is apt to do in these situations). His beloved wears an expression that suggests her emotions have soared beyond the mundane dictates of the clock. She is living an eternal moment of romantic bliss. Whether or not the cuckoo will succeed in shattering her reverie is open to question but promises made to her parents are clearly running through the young man's head.

There is nothing idealized or generalized about this couple. They are, without a doubt, real people—people you might see crossing the street or riding the bus, the young woman a trifle plump, her beau a neighborhood dandy, almost choked by his high, stiff collar. In this respect this is already a mature Rockwell work. It is also a particularly well-painted canvas. The two heads, the girl's dress and the cushion she leans against are all handled with a wonderful economy. Rockwell has always understood that hands can be almost as expressive as faces, s and here his treatment of the young man's hands is especially effective.