''Growth of a Leader'' is a 1964 painting by

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

. It appeared as the 1966

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Boy Scout Calendar. Long-time Rockwell model James Edgerton and his son are depicted as a Scout moving through the stages of a man's Scouting career.

Creation

The Edgerton family lived next to Norman Rockwell for 10 years. During that time, four generations of Edgertons posed for Rockwell. The first time that James "Buddy" Edgerton posed for Rockwell was for the 1945 Boy Scout Calendar illustration, '' I Will Do My Best'', in 1943. The final time was for ''Growth of a Leader'', after Rockwell moved from

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, to

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. Of the four men depicted, three were modeled after Buddy and the fourth, the Cub Scout, was modeled after his son. Since no one in the Edgerton family was involved in Scouting, all of the uniforms were borrowed from friends.

Composition

The painting depicts the stages a man goes through as he moves through the Scouting program, in front of an American flag. The cycle starts with a young

Cub Scout Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 7 and 12, depending on the organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'P ...

. As the boy becomes older he moves to the

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

and then the Sea Scout/Explorer (modern day Venturing) programs. The Sea Scout has an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

pin on his uniform. Finally, the man, with flecks of gray in his temples, becomes a Scoutmaster. Each of the figures is looking at a single point off of the canvasing, giving them the feeling of being united in a single purpose.

Meaning

The painting represents the increase in maturity a Scout gains as he goes through the program. This is shown by the physical changes to each of the figures and by the change in expression on each of their faces.

Sources

External links

Detailed record of the painting via the Norman Rockwell Museum website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Growth of a Leader 1964 paintings Paintings by Norman Rockwell Boy Scouts of America Flags in art Scouting in art