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Indeed, Thanksgiving-a mainstay of American life-found its place in cameras and picture frames for over a century. The quintessential scene-feasts of plenty, family gatherings, and grateful sentiments-evolved in an artistic medium that reflected the values of society and cultural change. From Norman Rockwell's legendary Freedom from Want to modern reinterpretation by contemporary photographers, the visual narrative aboutThanksgiving is as diverse and multi-layered as the holiday itself.
This article uses historical and cultural contexts to understand how art and photography shape our perception of Thanksgiving traditions by showing how such depictions-from early paintings to today's social media-driven narrative-have framed our expectations.
The Archetype: Norman Rockwell’s Influence
No discussion of thanksgiving art is complete without the mention of Norman Rockwell's Freedom from Want. His painting, published in 1943, showed a multi-generational family seated around a lavish turkey dinner as part of his Four Freedoms series. It became the quintessential Thanksgiving image, evoking themes of plenty, togetherness, and gratitude during World War II-a time when these values were highly valued.
But Rockwell's work didn't just document Thanksgiving; it defined it. A serene family gathered around the table, his was a cultural benchmark from the time it hit print, the visual shorthand for what Thanksgiving should be. Yet as aspirational as it was, it excluded so many realities-diversity of family and economics, for example.
Early Depictions: Romanticizing Thanksgiving Origins
Before Rockwell, 19th-century artists such as Jennie Brownscombe defined the spirit of Thanksgiving. Her painting, The First Thanksgiving, 1914, is a tableau in which Pilgrims and Native Americans dine in divine happiness. Brownscombe's painting coincided with that early 20th-century drive to establish Thanksgiving as a common American heritage, where history was put aside for the idyllic scenario it should have been.
Such depictions helped create a sanitized version of Thanksgiving's origins, intermingling myth with idealized patriotism. These early works framed Thanksgiving as a tale of cooperation and gratitude while avoiding nuance in colonial history that is still being reconsidered today in today's cultural narratives.
The Advertising Revolution: Selling the Thanksgiving Dream
During the mid-20th century, advertising kidnapped Thanksgivings imagery to hawk everything from kitchen gizmos to tinned vegetables and hard-sell traditional familial values. Hand-drawn turkeys, cornucopias, and jovial families graced print ads for anything from kitchen appliances to canned goods. These ads borrowed pages from Rockwell's notebook and reinforced the idea that the Thanksgiving day was incomplete without a picture-postcard meal-preferably prepared with the help of the advertiser's products.
The ideals were perpetuated even further, through emotionally resonant campaigns by brands like Campbell's and Butterball. Their messaging tied Thanksgiving to consumerism, making the holiday a showcase of domestic achievement. Though these campaigns spoke to mid-century audiences, they also imposed narrow definitions of what Thanksgiving should look like, leaving little room for non-traditional celebrations or diverse cultural practices.
Contemporary Reimaginings: Inclusivity and Modern Values
Thanksgiving art and photography, over the last few years, have moved past the ordinary into embracing modern values like inclusivity, sustainability, and varied forms of family dynamics. Today, contemporary photographers and artists use their roles to dismantle outdated narratives as they celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in all of its forms.
Of course, social media simply accelerates that evolution. Instagram, as an example, is full of imagery on Thanksgiving Day representing Friendsgiving gatherings, feasts of the plant-based varieties, and quiet moments of gratitude. These pictures represent a broader shift toward authenticity and representation that resonates with an audience who values diversity and individuality.
Artists have also taken the matter of sustainability up and attempted to reimagine a couple of Thanksgiving scenes as examples of good ecological practice. From zero-waste tablescapes in still-life photography to paintings that reimagine abundance with no excess, these push the conversation from tradition to responsibility.
How Art and Photography Shape Expectations
Art and photography don’t just document Thanksgiving; they shape it. The visual culture of the holiday informs how we decorate, celebrate, and even define gratitude. Be it through the idealized images of Rockwell or today's candidly authentic Instagram feeds, such representations influence our expectations about Thanksgiving and how we connect to its meaning.
Yet, this influence brings with it responsibility. As Thanksgiving morphs with each successive year, an artist or photographer must balance paying homage to tradition with challenging the status quo. They will be sure that Thanksgiving imagery stays relevant and inclusive of the myriad ways we give thanks in 2024.
Conclusion: A Holiday in Focus
From the iconic canvas of Rockwell to the curated feeds onInstagram, the visual story of Thanksgiving has always moved hand in hand with American culture. It has, through art and photography, documented not only the spirit of the holiday but defined traditions and values that may well be valued as lenses with which to appreciate family and history.
With Thanksgiving 2024 fast approaching, let us reflect upon the power of these images-not so much as a holiday in documentation but as reflexive styles of who we are and who we want to be. From the idealized arts of the past through the honest stories of today, Thanksgiving remains a tapestry of tradition-reshaped with every shot, stroke, and gesture.
