Nanny 1936

Norman Rockwell made this piece, “Nanny”, with paint on, what looks like, board. Rockwell is so well known for his realism, but here the watercolors feel free and washy, which lends a sense of the comedic. The contrast between the crispness of the Nanny’s uniform and the looseness of the crying baby is really striking. If you look closely, you can almost see the individual brushstrokes that build up the baby's flushed, tear-streaked face. It's like Rockwell is letting us in on the secret of how to make a painting, rather than just showing us a finished product. There is a real physicality to the paint, a sense of touch. It reminds me a little of Philip Guston, who also mixed humor and pathos in his work. Both artists seem to be saying that art doesn't have to be so serious all the time. It can be messy and funny and even a little bit sad.