The Party Favour 1919

Norman Rockwell painted this scene of two children pulling a party favor sometime during his career as an illustrator. Just look at the way he's built up the forms with careful, almost invisible brushstrokes! The color palette is tight, mostly reds, whites, and browns, creating a kind of warmth, like old photographs. I love the tension between the boy and the girl, and how Rockwell captures that moment right before the snap of the cracker. The surface is so smooth, you can hardly see any texture, which makes it feel almost dreamlike, even though it's such a mundane scene. Check out the way the light catches the girl's hair – so soft and delicate! It's like he's trying to capture the fleeting joy of childhood. The dog is also a beautiful and unexpected detail. Rockwell is like a funhouse mirror held up to everyday life. You can almost hear the sounds of the party and smell the sugar of the sweets. Sort of like a 20th-century Chardin, don't you think? But with that good old American charm.