The Problem We All Live With - Norman Rockwell

Norman Percevel Rockwell, known for his detailed and emotionally evocative illustrations, depicted in "The Problem We All Live With" a crucial moment in the struggle for civil rights in the United States. The work captures Ruby Bridges, an African American girl, escorted by federal agents on her way to a school called "William Frantz Elementary," which until that moment was exclusively for whites, reflecting the impact of racial segregation in New Orleans.

This work falls within social realism, an artistic movement that seeks to highlight social and political issues, using everyday scenes as vehicles for critique. Rockwell, who traditionally worked for popular media like "The Saturday Evening Post" and where he received much criticism for his images depicting an overly romantic America, broke with his usual style to address themes of racial injustice and inequality in the famous magazine "Look", marking a turning point in his career towards more committed art. The painting, beyond being a historical document, is a call for empathy and reflection on human rights, using the visual contrast between Ruby's innocence and the implicit violence of the situation. This change in Rockwell's work evidences the great evolution of American society and the influence of movements like 20th-century social expressionism and critical realism.