An Audience of One 1938

Norman Rockwell made "An Audience of One" with oil paints. The green ground feels almost thrown down, like a stage backdrop, a place for the drama to play out, full of potential. Look at the way the paint sits, thinly applied in some areas, allowing that green to glow. The dark velvety black of the Mother’s coat absorbs the light and is painted more thickly. And then there's the faces and hands, rendered with such delicate precision, especially the two boys; their eagerness and apprehension are palpable. Notice the boy in front: his tiny Christmas corsage pinned to his lapel so formally clashes with his fidgeting fingers. Rockwell captures a very particular moment, a very particular emotion with this piece. He reminds me a little of Hopper, in that ability to distil a whole mood or atmosphere from a single moment. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is about embracing ambiguity, not pinning down definitive meanings.