NormanRockwellBiography

Pictureanationofpatrioticcitizensunencumberedbywantorfear,freetospeak

theirmindsandworshipastheychose.Inasimpleroom,generationsgatherfora

bountifulThanksgivingfeast.Inadimlylitbedroom,amotherandfathertuck

theirchildsafelyintobed.Atatownmeeting,amanstandstallandproudamonghisneighbors.Ina

crowd,everyheadisbentinferventprayer.ThisisNormanRockwell’sAmericaasdepictedinhis

famous“FourFreedoms”series.Althoughhisvastbodyofworkhasoftenbeendismissedor

stereotyped,Rockwellremainsoneof20th-centuryAmerica’smostenduringandpopularartists.Now,

morethanonehundredyearsafterhisbirth,heisachievinganewlevelofrecognitionandrespect

aroundtheworld.

NormanRockwellthoughtofhimselffirstandforemostacommercialillustrator.Hesitanttoconsiderit

art,heharboreddeepinsecuritiesabouthiswork.Whatisunmistakable,however,isthatRockwell

tappedintothenostalgiaofapeopleforatimethatwaskinderandsimpler.Hisabilitytocreatevisual

storiesthatexpressedthewantsofanationhelpedtoclarifyand,inasense,createthatnation’s

vision.Hisprolificcareerspannedthedaysofhorse-drawncarriagestothemomentousleapthat

landedmankindonthemoon.Whilehistorywasinthemakingallaroundhim,Rockwellchosetofillhis

canvaseswiththesmalldetailsandnuancesofordinarypeopleineverydaylife.Takentogether,his

manypaintingscapturesomethingmuchmoreelusiveandtranscendent—theessenceofthe

Americanspirit.“IpaintlifeasIwouldlikeittobe,”Rockwelloncesaid.Mythical,idealistic,innocent,

hispaintingsevokealongingforatimeandplacethatexistedonlyintherarefiedrealmofhisrich

imaginationandinthehopesandaspirationsofthenation.AccordingtofilmmakerStevenSpielberg,

“RockwellpaintedtheAmericandream—betterthananyone.”

BorninNewYorkin1894,Rockwellhadearlyhopesofbecominganartist.Asayoungmanhelehigh

schooltoattendartschool.AdiligentstudentattheArtStudent’sLeagueinNewYork,hegraduatedto

findimmediateworkasanillustratorforBOY’SLIFEmagazine.By1916Rockwellhadcreatedhisfirstof

manySATURDAYEVENINGPOSTcovers.Hewouldcontinuetocreatememorablecoversforthemfor

nearlyfiyyears—makingthreehundredandseventeeninall.Bytheearly1920s,Rockwellhad

workedillustratingadvertisementsformanybusinesses,includingJell-OandOrangeCrush.Hiswork

formagazineswasgrowinginpopularityandbringinginnumerousrequests.In1920hemadea

paintingfortheBoyScoutsofAmericacalendar.Clearlyoneofthemorewell-knownprojects,he

continuedtoworkontheircalendarsuntiljustbeforehisdeath.

In1942,Rockwellpaintedoneofhismostovertlypoliticalandimportantpieces.Inresponsetoa

speechgivenbyPresidentFranklinRoosevelt,Rockwellmadeaseriesofpaintingsthatdealtwiththe

FreedomofSpeech,FreedomofWorship,FreedomfromWant,andFreedomfromFear.Throughout

themid-1940sthesepaintingstraveledaroundthecountrybeingshowninconjunctionwiththesaleof

bonds.Viewedbymorethanamillionpeople,theirpopularitywasconsideredanimportantpartofthe

wareffortathome.Duringthelate1940sand1950sRockwellcontinuedasoneofthemostprolific

andrecognizedillustratorsinthecountry.WhilehisallegiancetotheSATURDAYEVENINGPOST

remained,heproducedworkforothermagazinesINCLUDINGLADIES’HOMEJOURNAL,MCCALL’S,

LITERARYDIGEST,andLOOK.

Inthe1960s,promptedbyhisthirdwife,newmarkets,andbythetimes,Rockwellbegantoexhibita

strongsenseofsocialconsciousness.Hisimages,whichhadprimarilydealtwithautopianvisionofthe

country,begantoaddressrealisticconcerns.“TheProblemWeAllLiveWith,”showsanAfrican-

Americanschoolgirl,escortedbysafetyofficers,walkingpastawallsmearedwiththejuicesofa

throwntomato.Inadditiontocivilrights,Rockwell’slatersubjectsrangedfrompovertytotheSpace

Age,fromthePeaceCorpstothepresidents.Today,morethantwentyyearsafterhisdeathin1978,

NormanRockwell’sstarisonceagainrising.“FreedomFromWant,”thatinvitingportraitofaNew

EnglandThanksgivingdinner,wasrecentlythecenterpieceofanexhibitattheNationalMuseumof

AmericanArtinWashington,D.C.InaneraofAbstractExpressionism,Rockwellneverachievedthe

criticalstatureofcontemporarieslikeJacksonPollock,buthisfamiliarimageshavefoundapermanent

placeintheAmericanPsyche.