Secret Hiding Place Yields Key to Rockwell Mystery [5min]

The mystery surrounding the inconsistencies in one of Norman Rockwell's most famous illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post has been solved: The original has been found, hidden in a secret compartment in a family home, while the painting believed to be the original turns out to be a masterful forgery. The picture -- known as Breaking Home Ties -- depicts a working-class father and his college-bound son. The boy is a portrait of anticipation, wearing a wide-eyed expression and his best Sunday suit. For decades, the painting's flaws stumped Rockwell experts. Something about it wasn't quite right: The colors looked dull; the wrinkles in the clothing didn't fall quite the right way.