Santa and Expense Book 1920

Norman Rockwell dreamed up Santa and his Expense Book with paint and canvas, but I bet it started with ink and paper. Look at Santa, caught between the naughty and nice, quill pen in his mouth, kids hovering in his head. I can almost hear him muttering, "Did I REALLY need all those reindeer?" Rockwell lets us peek behind the curtain, into Santa's world of cost ledgers and balance sheets. It is a world of magic, but also logistics. Rockwell, like Santa, had his own workshop. And it was one of a kind. He used smooth brushwork and muted colors to bring out the textures of everyday life, the way folks talked and felt. His world connects with other great painters, like Van Gogh or Paula Modersohn-Becker, who used painting as a mirror for the human spirit. This Christmas scene, Rockwell lets us know that we can share an experience of uncertainty and reflection, and invites us into a world of endless artistic exploration.