Gaily Sharing Vintage Times 1955

Norman Rockwell made this warm, nostalgic painting with what looks like oil paint, though probably with some other media mixed in, at some point in his career. The colours are mostly muted – greens, yellows, and greys, with that pop of red from the rug – but it’s the treatment of the surfaces that really makes the work sing. Look how the light catches the cat’s fur, or the way the folds of the man’s coat cascade down his body. There’s a real sense of weight and texture to everything, like you could reach out and touch it. And then there are the faces. I mean, they’re so expressive! Rockwell really captured the joy and warmth of a shared moment between two people. It’s like a snapshot of a time long gone, but still so alive and relatable. Rockwell’s work reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper – both were masters of capturing a particular slice of American life, but Rockwell always has that undercurrent of optimism and sentimentality.