More Than Meets the Eye

In 1938 Norman Rockwell, a famous American painter, painted a portrait of a doctor with a stethoscope checking the breathing of a child patient. The child was accompanied by his mother who was happily sitting in the background. The arguments that are made by Rockwell in his portrait portray that the doctor is a sympathetic, caring physician. Rockwell uses warm colors such as shades of dark red and deep yellows. Also, Rockwell paints a picture of the doctor, who is old and looks very gentle. There is no technology in Rockwell's portrait, but the doctor is getting done what need he should be and the mother is satisfied. In the text, there is also a picture of a doctor who is doing some work on a high-tech monitor that is displaying what looks like an x-ray or an MRI. The doctor in this picture is wearing glasses, holding a pen and it seems that he is studying the display intently. The doctor in the picture is portrayed in such a way that he is very intelligent and knows exactly what he is doing. If a person were to go the doctor in the in Rockwell's portrait they would be very comfortable with him and feel that he is genuinely helping them. If someone were to go to the doctor in the high-tech photo, they would probably know they are getting very good medical treatment, but their doctor may be a little less sociable.

Some people say that you can get a glimpse of somebody's personality just by looking at their artwork. Rockwell painted the picture of the doctor and the child and it gives you the impression that Norman Rockwell is kind, caring person. If Rockwell were a grouchy, old man who hated children he would not paint a picture of a doctor giving care to a young child. So Rockwell's portrait that he painted gives the impression that he is an all around caring person. The photographer of the high-tech photograph seems to be a more practical person who wants to show what the doctor is really doing and the hard work that the doctors do and the complexity of their job. The impression of the ethos that the high-tech doctor gives is that he is very smart and knows exactly what he is doing, because he is using advanced technology to do his job and not everyone can use that type of equipment. The doctor in the portrait by Rockwell gives the impression of the ethos that the doctor knows what he is doing and that he is there to help you, the fact that he is a doctor makes him a credible person.

It is in HMO’s and insurance company’s best interest to portray high-tech images of doctors. When someone has a serious medical condition and they go to see a doctor they want to know that they have somebody who knows what they are talking about. So it is the HMOs and insurance companies to show clients and potential clients that their doctors have a lot of experience and that they can help their patients. As for the doctor portrayed in Norman Rockwell's painting, he may better serve interests in alternative health care. Alternative health care, such as naturopathology, would appeal to Rockwell's doctor because the doctor in the painting seems that he is more along the lines of a doctor who would tell you to eat some soup, don't go outside, and get enough rest. For someone who is not looking for a pill to fix their problem they would want to go to the doctor in Rockwell's portrait.

Whether or not you take the time to look at them, pictures, paintings, advertisements, movies, or basically any visual, there is normally more than just a picture there, and there is a deeper reasoning behind them. Subliminal messages are placed in these various visuals so that the viewer can connect with the visual and pick out the deeper meaning. It may just look like a painting, but it’s more than meets the eye.

Jordan Engel