Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell - Triple Self Portrait

“Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.”

— Norman Rockwell

Find beautiful framed art prints by Norman Rockwell.

Looking out to sea - Norman Rockwell

Looking Out to Sea

by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell

American Painter and Illustrator, 1894 - 1978

Norman Rockwell, beloved American painter and illustrator, always wanted to be an artist. Norman Rockwell's art reflected an intimate portrait of American life during the 20th century. His themes described universal human experiences ranging from touching moments of childhood to civil rights, America's war on poverty, and the exploration of space. Norman Rockwell's art relied on masterful technique, gifted storytelling, humor, compassion. Like all great artists, Norman Rockwell was captivated by the commonplace and used it to reveal a deeper and more profound reality.

Three Umpires

Three Umpires

by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell has had an enormous influence on popular culture and on generations of American illustrators. Working in the tradition of such great illustrator storytellers as Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth, Rockwell set the standard for commercial artists who used narrative realism to illustrate books, magazines, and advertisements from the 1920s to the 1950s. A seminal figure in the evolution of American illustration, his work spawned a shift by the next generation of illustrators and designers.

At age 14, Rockwell enrolled in art classes at the New York School of Art. Two years later, in 1910, he left high school to study art at the National Academy of Design. He soon transferred to the Art Students League, where he studied with Thomas Fogarty and George Bridgman. Fogarty's instruction in illustration prepared Rockwell for his first commercial commissions. From Bridgman, Rockwell learned the technical skills on which he relied throughout his long career.

“Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed.”

— Norman Rockwell

Rockwell found success early. While still in high school, he painted his first commission of four Christmas cards before his sixteenth birthday. He was hired as art director of Boys' Life, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, and began a successful freelance career illustrating a variety of young people's publications while he was still in his teens.

In 1916, the 22-year-old Rockwell painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, the magazine considered by Rockwell to be the "greatest show window in America." Over the next 47 years, Rockwell produced another 321 covers for the Post. In the same year, Rockwell married Irene O'Connor; they would divorce in 1930.

“To us, illustration was an ennobling profession. That's part of the reason I went into illustration. It was a profession with a great tradition, a profession I could be proud of.”

— Norman Rockwell

Rockwell experienced the most fruitful decades of his career during the '30s and '40s. In 1930 he married Mary Barstow, a schoolteacher, and the couple had three sons: Jarvis, Thomas, and Peter. They moved to Arlington, Vermont in 1939, and Rockwell's work began to explore the theme of small-town American life.

In 1943, inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt's address to Congress, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms paintings. They were reproduced in four consecutive issues of The Saturday Evening Post with essays by contemporary writers. Rockwell's interpretations of Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear proved to be enormously popular. The works raised more than $130 million for the war effort through the sale of war bonds.

1943 also brought Rockwell an enormous loss. A fire destroyed his Arlington studio as well as numerous paintings and his collection of historical costumes and props.

In 1953, the Rockwell family moved from Arlington, Vermont, to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Six years later, Mary Barstow Rockwell died unexpectedly.

In 1961, Rockwell married Molly Punderson, a retired teacher. Two years later, he ended his 47-year association with The Saturday Evening Post and began to work for Look magazine. During his 10-year association with Look, Rockwell painted pictures illustrating some of his deepest concerns and interests, including civil rights, America's war on poverty, and the exploration of space.

In 1976, in failing health, Rockwell became concerned about the future of his studio. He arranged to have his studio and its contents added to the custodianship of the Old Corner House Stockbridge Historical Society (later to become the Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge.) In 1977, Rockwell received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country." He died at his home in Stockbridge on November 8, 1978, at the age of 84.

Find beautiful framed art prints by Norman Rockwell.

More art by Norman Rockwell

Santa's Workshop by Norman Rockwell

Santa's Workshop

by Norman Rockwell

Old Timers, Lazy Days by Norman Rockwell

Old Timers, Lazy Days

by Norman Rockwell

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