Gary Cooper as ‘The Texan’ 1930

Norman Rockwell's 1930 painting, “Gary Cooper as ‘The Texan’”, captures the essence of Hollywood filmmaking through a humorous and intimate portrayal of actor Gary Cooper in the midst of a scene. The painting, which exemplifies Rockwell’s signature style of Americana realism, depicts a makeup artist applying lipstick to Cooper's lips while he sits dressed in his Western attire, leaning against a saddle, his cowboy boots and gun belt at his side. The scene, while seemingly ordinary, encapsulates the behind-the-scenes world of film production, where artifice meets reality.