Mysterious Malady 1958

Norman Rockwell made this, ‘Mysterious Malady,’ and though undated, the colours and approach give us something of a clue. Look at this kid playing doctor, and how Rockwell works with flat planes of colour, layering them on the jeans and the dog’s sad face, so that each little detail adds to the whole story. There’s a sweetness to the light brushstrokes, which are like tiny dots of care, especially on the dog's fur and the boy's hair, and it pulls you right into that space. I love how the crispness of the leaves overhead is offset by the fuzziness of the shadows. It reminds me a little of Alex Katz, but softer, and less edgy. Rockwell is like that kindly uncle who tells you a familiar story with so much heart that you never get tired of hearing it again. It’s about finding truth and beauty in the everyday, and in the process.