I have always loved Norman Rockwell, to me, he is the best, of all the “Golden Age” illustrators. As a small child, I can remember being engrossed in his Illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post, for which he is most famous, and from the large wall calendars, it seemed they were everywhere. His ability to capture everyday life in a humorous and detailed realistic style amazes me. I have read articles about Norman Rockwell and seen videos of him all my life. I watched a biography video about Norman Rockwell on television.
Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in New York City on February 3, 1894. In 1916, at age 22, Rockwell created the first of 322 covers for The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell’s Americana images were loved by the public but were dismissed by most critics as lacking artistic merit and authentic social observation.
Rockwell’s success at the Post made him more popular with other magazines and he began selling paintings and drawings to Life Magazine, Judge, and Leslie’s. Rockwell joined the Navy in 1917 and he was assigned to the camp newspaper and continued painting for the post and other publications. After the war, Rockwell started advertising illustration and worked with Jell-O, Willy’s Cars, and Orange Crush soft drinks as well as others. He also worked on special stamps for the post office, and posters for the military and Hollywood. He also did illustrations for Sears mail-order catalogs, Hallmark greeting cards, and books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
In 1943, During World War II, Rockwell was inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to Congress and painted the “Four Freedoms” paintings. Rockwell’s interpretations of Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear were enormously popular. The works toured the United States in an exhibition, jointly sponsored by the Post and the U.S. Treasury Department, and, through the sale of war bonds, raised more than $130 million for the war effort.
Norman Rockwell Museum
In 1969 Rockwell had a one-man show in New York City where many of his paintings were purchased for around $20,000 each.
Encyclopedia of World Biography
I have just touched the surface of this man’s contribution to the art world. There are a few artists throughout history that I consider heads and tails above all others in their field. Norman Rockwell is on that list. Among notables such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Salvador Dali, I think the works of art created by Norman Rockwell are on a level equal to these Geniuses of art.
When I look at a painting by Norman Rockwell, I can see the care and time he took to “feel” the painting, from every fold in the clothing to every wrinkle around an old man’s eyes. Rockwell captures the true essence of one’s spirit and a time when America was full of optimism and expectations of a bright future.
The detail in his art is incredible, even though most of his paintings are not so photographically realistic (you are aware they are paintings) the details are so fine and “realistic” that they are perceived as real. Nothing is left out as exemplified in the image above. Note the amazing detail in the tile flooring, the reflection on the bench, and even the key hanging on the bulletin board. I am in total awe of Norman Rockwell’s talent.
Norman Rockwell died in his home on November 8, 1978. He was 84 years old.
Bibliography:
Norman Rockwell Museum
Encyclopedia of World Biography
Garden of Praise
