Blacksmith’s Boy 1940

Norman Rockwell made this image, Blacksmith’s Boy, out of paint and probably some careful drawing to get all those people just so. The colors are muted, like it's an old memory, but the postures are so vivid, especially the blacksmiths with their arms raised high. The paint isn’t too thick; he’s not trying to show off the texture of the paint itself, more interested in showing us the texture of the scene. Look at the guy on the right; he's got this orangey-red shirt that really pops against the brown bricks. It’s almost like Rockwell wants us to feel the heat radiating from the forge. Rockwell always reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, in that way he captures these everyday moments and makes them feel so significant. Like you're not just looking at a painting, but a whole world. It makes you wonder what they were all thinking, all those people watching.