Babysitter 1947

Norman Rockwell made this painting of a babysitter and screaming infant with oil on canvas. Can you imagine him conjuring up this scene? I feel for the sitter in this painting – she’s clearly at her wit's end. There’s a beautiful tension here. Rockwell's got a real talent for storytelling and a sense of composition. There's so much detail to take in. Just look at the books and the clock! What Rockwell is doing here is part of a long conversation between painters. We all riff on each other. The way he captures the emotion in the baby's face, that's something that stays with you. Painting is like life, you know? It’s messy, full of surprises, and often leaves you with more questions than answers. And isn’t that the point?