Winchester Stagecoach 1941

Norman Rockwell made Winchester Stagecoach using oil on canvas, and it's now in a private collection. Rockwell's illustrative style is so good, it’s easy to miss his mark-making. In this scene, jostling with characters, it's like he’s capturing a fleeting moment, a casual snapshot. Except, of course, it’s anything but casual. Look at the face of the man with the crooked smile at the bottom right. The way Rockwell captures every wrinkle and bulge, it's incredible, right? It’s like he’s thinking about the endless folds and sags that gravity and time inflict on us all. The colour palette, too, adds to this feeling. Earthy browns and reds dominate, mirroring the gritty reality of the subject matter. He reminds me of a kind of American version of the French artist Honoré Daumier. But while Daumier was a master of lithography, Rockwell worked with oil paint, capturing these nuances in a physical way. Ultimately, Rockwell's work is about people, their stories, and the ambiguity of life.