The Song of Bernadette 1944

This is Norman Rockwell’s “The Song of Bernadette”. Look how he’s built up the painting with these thin glazes, creating a hazy, dreamlike effect that glows from within. I’m imagining Rockwell standing in front of the canvas, squinting, maybe stepping back, then forward, making those tiny adjustments to the light on her face, the folds of her skirt, and the way her hand rests on her chest. You can see how the materiality is very gentle, everything blends. It’s a painting about faith, and the way Rockwell has applied the paint mirrors that. There's a conversation happening between artists, across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. I wonder if Rockwell thought of Caravaggio's dark paintings? It's a lovely painting, a real meditation on belief and how we see the world. The artist is offering a way of thinking and feeling to us. What could be better than that?