Willie Gillis; Hometown News 1942

Norman Rockwell made this painting, Willie Gillis; Hometown News, with oil on canvas, and he really knew how to make the paint behave! The colour palette is mostly muted, with soft browns, creams and reds. But the overall effect is far from dull. The texture is smooth but varied, as if he was trying to make the paint itself look like skin, cloth, or paper. There's a lovely contrast in his approach to different elements, like how he's letting us see the brushstrokes in the red background, but the face is rendered with a super fine touch, almost like a photograph. The rolled newspaper at the bottom is particularly amazing, as if it's about to uncurl itself. Rockwell was such a master of storytelling, wasn't he? The way he captures the light and shadow reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, although Hopper is moodier and Rockwell is really a big softie. They both show that painting isn't just about what you see, but about how you feel.