It seems like over the past ten years or so Norman Rockwell’s reputation in the art world has been rehabbed. Instead of being tossed aside as a sappy illustrator popular among People Who Don’t Know Anything About Art, the art world has slowly embraced America’s favorite son. I’ve seen his work reappear in plenty of museums. On a visit to the Rockwell studio and museum years ago, I noticed something about his technique. This discovery made me think about him as a painter for the first time.