Teacher's Birthday 1956

Here's a sentimental scene painted by Norman Rockwell, but what makes it an artwork and not just an illustration? Well, it's all in the painting's mood. We're talking about the awkward moment when a teacher discovers that her students wrote ‘Happy Birthday’ on the blackboard. I'm thinking about Rockwell's painting process, and how he created the layers. He must have pondered on what it would feel like to be Miss Jones in that moment, and how to best translate that feeling onto the canvas. There she is, standing there, with a surprised expression, and holding her hat. Rockwell perfectly captures her joy, warmth, and humility, and all the kids with their backs to us are united in a feeling of shared excitement, making it all the more sentimental. Rockwell used the muted browns of the classroom to frame the teacher's red hair, and with this image, he creates a world of nostalgia.