Norman Rockwell Art and History

The biography of Norman Rockwell is an interesting journey into one of the most notable American illustrators of the 20th century. Norman Rockwell art features classic Americana scenes and imagery. Everything from childhood memories as young boys run terrified past a “no swimming” sign clutching their piled up-clothes to somber reminders of the Civil Rights movement as four U.S. Marshals must escort a young black schoolgirl to class, protecting her from the obvious racism and conflict which ensue around her in, The Problem We All Live With. It appears that one of Rockwell’s greatest technical abilities was in not only the precise details and accurate depictions of life, but also the story left out of the paintings. What the viewer sees when looking at a Norman Rockwell painting is not only the imaginative scenery but also the chance to imagine an entire story, through one precise emotive representation of American life.

Born in New York City on February 3, 1894, Rockwell lived until he was 84 when he died of emphysema on November 8, 1978. Rockwell began his artistic career early when he transferred from high school at the age of 16 the Chase Art School and then to the National Academy of Design and soon after to the Art Students League, all of which were in New York City. Rockwell started as an illustrator for a popular children’s publication, the St. Nicholas Magazine and the Boy Scouts of America’s magazine, Boys’ Life, which, at the age of 19, he became the art editor. Rockwell worked as an illustrator for other juvenile magazines as well. He spent most of his life as a publication illustrator and eventually working as the cover illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post magazine, from which many of his iconic prints come from. Although he often received jobs of lesser importance, it was not long before Rockwell received one of his first major big breaks, only two years after entering art school. At the age of eighteen, Rockwell received his first book illustration when Carl H. Claudy commissioned Rockwell to illustrate his book, Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature.

During World War I, Rockwell tried to enlist but was initially rejected due to weight requirements. Although his military job would be little different from his professional career as an artist, eventually working as a military artist, Rockwell was too skinny and not allowed to serve. He gorged himself that night, reweighed and enlisted in the U.S. Navy the next day. At the age of 21, Rockwell moved to New Rochelle, New York where he would begin with what would be his most successful career jobs, working as an illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post where he worked for over four decades. In New Rochelle, he shared a studio with Clyde Forsythe, a cartoonist who worked for the magazine and helped Rockwell submit his first successful illustration to the publication. Within the first year of Rockwell’s initial publication in 1916, he had a total eight separate cover illustrations published. Over his 47-year career, Norman Rockwell had a total of 321 original covers published for the magazine. However, because of his huge success with The Post, Rockwell commissioned his work for several other magazines including, The Country Gentleman, Literary Digest, Peoples Popular Monthly, Leslie's Weekly, and Life Magazine. Looking back on the life of Norman Rockwell, it is clear to see the correlation between Rockwell’s iconic illustrations and the acute awareness to the American subject matter represented in these magazines.

Rockwell was an avid, yet respectable illustrative commentator on American politics and policy. During World War II, Inspired by one of Franklin Roosevelt’s speeches outlining the four principals of universal rights, which are Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, and Freedom from Fear, Rockwell painted one of his most famous series titled the Four Freedoms. All published by The Post in 1943, the U.S. Treasury Department endorsed war bonds by displaying the originals in sixteen cities. Likewise, some of his most respected work are paintings that focus on the Civil Rights movement. One such painting, titled Moving In is a classic example of how Rockwell used his artwork to spark thought and intrigue. The image focuses on a moving truck parked in the driveway as some resident children greet their new neighbors. Although a somewhat ordinary scene, what makes this painting so striking is how Rockwell tells an entire story in the matter of one single instant. His use of characters, the separation and postures of the two neighbors meeting for the first time and expressions and thoughts inferred leave much up to the viewers’ imagination. Rockwell had many critics who considered him talented, yet a less than serious artist, almost a waste. However, Rockwell’s paintings of social change required many to reconsider his use of talent.

No matter what his subject matter though, it is clear to see why Rockwell stands as one of the greatest American artists ever to have lived. His distinct style and particular subject matter lend many to thoughts of days gone by. The imaginative remembrance of Rockwell’s paintings transports the viewer into an age when times were different. Norman Rockwell prints capture the essence of an artist tapped into the culture of his influence. Framed Norman Rockwell prints add a classic touch to the painter who illustrated America. One of the most beloved American painters, you will often find his paintings on various commemorative objects, some of the most famous being the Norman Rockwell plates series.

One of the most fascinating things about the artwork of Norman Rockwell is the story they tell outside the image. Rockwell had a keen sense of timing. His ability to capture a specific moment in time causing the viewer’s imagination to transport into that instance required great talent. The movements, the expressions, the coloring and the postures of his subjects tell a rich narrative of not only American life but of the specific instance captured within the print. Looking at one of Norman Rockwell’s paintings, you can’t help but wonder, and imaginatively know, what is going on outside of the particular scene, that we simply can’t see. When you buy Norman Rockwell art, you are sure to own a piece of American art history.

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms series comprise of some of his most famous paintings. Included in this series are Rockwell’s depictions of Roosevelt’s four principals of universal rights. Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech and Freedom to Worship are among his most well-known works. The visual representation of Roosevelt’s speech delivered a powerful message to the American people of that time, who found themselves in the middle of World War II. The series of four paintings acted as visual reminder of the ideals being fought for. All of the paintings depict ordinary citizens practicing their universal rights in ways that provided a clear understanding to the importance and inherit value within each.

Along similar lines is Norman Rockwell’s painting Saying Grace that expands further on some of these universal rights. In the illustration, there is a family sitting around a table at a restaurant, praying before they eat. However, like so many of Rockwell’s art, though the central scene is fascinating and intriguing in its own right, the secondary or peripheral scenery is just as captivating. As you view the painting, you can’t help but wonder what is really going on around the diner and what brought this family together in a restaurant. So many questions can arise when contemplating the countless stories that could have lead up to this single instant. What happened before and what will happen next are always unanswered questions in almost all of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations.