What is Norman Rockwell best known for?
Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, The Problem We All Live With, Saying Grace, and the Four Freedoms series.
What made Norman Rockwell's work unique?
Norman Rockwell possessed a distinct ability to create works of art that evoke a strong emotional response. Many of the emotions drawn from the viewer are memories of formative events from their own lives, nostalgia toward a time long gone, or a feeling of Americans collectively united through war-time patriotism.
Why was Norman Rockwell so good?
“Rockwell considered himself to be a visual storyteller,” explained Plunkett. “He was an extraordinary draftsman and an exceptional compositionalist, but maybe his greatest strength was his ability to enter the American psyche. People responded to his art because they saw the best of themselves in it.”
Why are Norman Rockwell's paintings so popular?
Norman Rockwell Paintings His images portray everyday life and have remained highly sought after. At one time, Rockwell's held the title for most expensive American painting ever sold. Rockwell's early work depicted American life and values. His war works sparked emotion and inspiration during World War II.
Who did Norman Rockwell influence?
Frank ChoSteve LieberOr ReichertNorman Rockwell/Influenced
What art movement was Norman Rockwell apart of?
“During his lifetime, Norman Rockwell was witness to such important artistic movements as Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. In choosing a path of illustration, however, he became as ubiquitous to the American public as the images he created.
Are Norman Rockwell prints worth anything?
Major Norman Rockwell works routinely can sell for tens of millions of dollars, while even his lesser-known paintings sell routinely for six figures. The most ever paid for a Norman Rockwell painting at auction is $46,085,000 for the piece.
What is Norman Rockwell's style?
A prolific and talented commercial illustrator, Rockwell was probably America's most popular artist in the middle of the 20th century, painting over 300 covers for the weekly Saturday Evening Post. His style was an exaggerated realism–real-looking people and situations but with a hint of caricature.
What does it mean for a painting to be Rockwell esque?
Rockwellesque definition (chiefly US) Characteristic of the artwork of Norman Rockwell, particularly his idealistic, quaint, or sentimental portrayals of American life.
Why did Norman Rockwell paint the Four Freedoms?
The intention was to remind America what they were fighting for: freedom of speech and worship, freedom from want and fear. All the paintings used a muted palette and are devoid of the vermilion Rockwell is known for.
When did Norman Rockwell become popular?
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, another 321 Rockwell covers would appear on the cover of the Post.
When did Norman Rockwell paint the Golden Rule?
1961Golden Rule, Norman Rockwell, 1961. Oil on canvas, 44½" x 39½".
What is Norman Rockwell's style?
A prolific and talented commercial illustrator, Rockwell was probably America's most popular artist in the middle of the 20th century, painting over 300 covers for the weekly Saturday Evening Post. His style was an exaggerated realism–real-looking people and situations but with a hint of caricature.
Why did Norman Rockwell paint the four freedoms?
The intention was to remind America what they were fighting for: freedom of speech and worship, freedom from want and fear. All the paintings used a muted palette and are devoid of the vermilion Rockwell is known for.
Why did Norman Rockwell create Rosie the Riveter?
[NARRATOR] During World War II, the character of “Rosie the Riveter” came to represent all women who took over previously male-only jobs on the home front. Rockwell's “Rosie,” from 1943, became one of the best known. Sitting on a lunch break, rivet gun on her lap, she's a proud and monumental presence.
Are Norman Rockwell prints worth anything?
Major Norman Rockwell works routinely can sell for tens of millions of dollars, while even his lesser-known paintings sell routinely for six figures. The most ever paid for a Norman Rockwell painting at auction is $46,085,000 for the piece.
Where was Norman Rockwell born?
Early days Norman Percevel Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894, in New York City . He was the second son of Nancy and Waring Rockwell. The family moved to Mamaroneck, New York, when Norman was nine years old. When he was 14, he enrolled in art classes at The New York School of Art.
Who was Rockwell married to?
Marriages and a growing career Rockwell married Irene O’Connor in 1916.
Who was Rockwell's third wife?
In 1961, Rockwell married his third wife, Molly Punderson. His last rendering for the Post was in 1963, which marked the end of a relationship that had produced more than 300 cover illustrations.
Who is Norman Rockwell?
Norman Rockwell, (born February 3, 1894, New York City, New York, U.S.—died November 8, 1978, Stockbridge, Massachusetts), American illustrator best known for his covers for the journal The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell, a scholarship winner of the Art Students League, received his first freelance assignment from Condé Nast at age 17 ...
What was Rockwell's ability to represent detail?
Rockwell was a careful craftsman with an ability to represent detail realistically. The subjects of most of his illustrations were taken from everyday family and small-town life and were often treated with a touch of humour.
What was Rockwell's highest award?
In 1977 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom —the nation’s highest peacetime award—by Pres. Gerald Ford.
What is Rockwell known for?
He is remembered chiefly for his 47-year association with The Saturday Evening Post weekly , for whom he painted over 320 cover images, and his long-standing connection with the Boy Scouts of America, for whom he provided artworks for its annual calendar for most of his working years. His preoccupation with the minutiae of the daily lives of the American nuclear family, not to mention his vital contribution to the World War II propaganda effort, have seen him achieve American icon status.#N#Preferring to be thought of as a genre painter (rather than an illustrator), he is best known perhaps for a particular type of painting rather than for specific works and, not unlike Edward Hopper, his vision of the American small town has seeped into the nation's collective consciousness. Though his unabashed patriotism and pictorial style made him an easy target for avant-gardists and left-wing intellectuals, his later work revealed the influence of Social Realism and several of his mature pieces, especially those he produced for Look magazine, took on a more socio-political edge. History has, quite rightly, tended to be very appreciative of Rockwell's contribution to the pictorial arts in America and his nostalgic images continue to adorn calendars, post-cards, posters and other arts ephemera.
Why did Rockwell use photography?
In the same way that, for example, Vermeer and Caravaggio used the camera obscura as an aid to producing their compositions, so Rockwell would use photography to capture an image of his sitters. Though his models were nearly always friends of acquaintances, Rockwell rotated a small squad of photographers who would record, under his direction, scenes that the painter himself would compose. Much to the chagrin of purists who believed that art should always be produced "freehand," Rockwell would, with the aid of a projector, trace and sketch the images onto his canvas before composing his intricate narrative paintings.
What did Rockwell do with his projector?
Much to the chagrin of purists who believed that art should always be produced "freehand," Rockwell would, with the aid of a projector, trace and sketch the images onto his canvas before composing his intricate narrative paintings.
What is the theme of Norman Rockwell's Boy with Baby Carriage?
Typical of his earlier montage paintings, this humorous boyhood coming-of-age theme is a fine example of his skill at capturing the gentle travails of human experience. The three figures and wicker carriage are positioned against a blank background so as to direct most of our attention onto the human figures in the composition. In this respect, the main "action" in the painting is created by the facial expressions of the boys. Rockwell created a simple, stark image relying on black, white and grey with touches of red to bring our attention to the boys' faces. It was his attention to details like this, and simple, but felt empathy with his subjects that so endeared Rockwell to the American public. Other illustrators of Norman Rockwell's time period, including Robert Gunn, Robert Tannenbaum and Leslie Thrasher, tried to imitate his style but failed to capture the essence of their characters or to emulate Rockwell's sixth sense for time and place.#N#Magazine editors were quick to recognize the human touch in Rockwell's exceptional compositions. The Post's art editor Kenneth Stuart, commented for instance that "No guide is needed for Norman's work" since the "warmth of his understanding reaches [the] People [who] experience his paintings." Stephanie Plunkett, chief curator at the Norman Rockwell Museum, backed that view when she said that for Americans Rockwell presented a picture of "who we are, what we could be, what we could look like [and] what our values could be."
Why was the Red Cross painting painted?
This painting was originally painted for the magazine to exemplify the good will of a Red Cross man, seen here in the guise of a scout attending to a small dog that has suffered an injury. It was also chosen to be used as Rockwell's first calendar cover for the Boy Scouts of America.
Where is the Norman Rockwell Museum?
Oil on canvas - Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Who said life will never be as perfect as life in a Norman Rockwell painting?
But Rockwell was deeply serious about his art. His position was perhaps best summed up by his own granddaughter, Abigail Rockwell when she wrote: "Some say life will never be as perfect as life in a Norman Rockwell painting. But my grandfather's work isn't about an unachievable ideal.
Where was Norman Rockwell born?
Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894, in New York, NY to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne Mary "Nancy" Rockwell, born Hill. His earliest American ancestor was John Rockwell (1588–1662), from Somerset, England, who immigrated to colonial North America, probably in 1635, aboard the ship Hopewell and became one of the first settlers of Windsor, Connecticut. He had one brother, Jarvis Waring Rockwell, Jr., older by a year and a half. Jarvis Waring, Sr., was the manager of the New York office of a Philadelphia textile firm, George Wood, Sons & Company, where he spent his entire career.
What was Rockwell's first job?
After that, Rockwell was hired as a staff artist for Boys' Life magazine. In this role, he received 50 dollars' compensation each month for one completed cover and a set of story illustrations. It is said to have been his first paying job as an artist. At 19, he became the art editor for Boys' Life, published by the Boy Scouts of America. He held the job for three years, during which he painted several covers, beginning with his first published magazine cover, Scout at Ship's Wheel, which appeared on the Boys' Life September 1913 edition.
How many times did Rockwell cover the Saturday Evening Post?
Rockwell was published eight times on the Post cover within the first year. Ultimately, Rockwell published 323 original covers for The Saturday Evening Post over 47 years. His Sharp Harmony appeared on the cover of the issue dated September 26, 1936; it depicts a barber and three clients, enjoying an a cappella song.
How did Rockwell die?
Rockwell died on November 8, 1978, of emphysema at age 84 in his Stockbridge, Massachusetts home. First Lady Rosalynn Carter attended his funeral.
What was the series of paintings that Rockwell painted?
Roosevelt, wherein Roosevelt described and articulated Four Freedoms for universal rights. Rockwell then painted Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship and Freedom from Fear .
How many works did Rockwell make?
Rockwell was a prolific artist, producing more than 4,000 original works in his lifetime. Most of his surviving works are in public collections.
What year did Rockwell's Freedom of Speech take place?
Rockwell considered Freedom of Speech to be the best of the four. Freedom from Want, 1943. That same year, a fire in his studio destroyed numerous original paintings, costumes, and props.
When did Norman Rockwell die?
Norman Rockwell, the artist-illustrator who gained a nationwide following for his many Saturday Evening Post covers, is back in the news 35 years after his death in 1978 . Sotheby's in New York is planning to auctionseven Rockwell paintings on 4 December, and the paintings are expected to sell for record prices.
What was Rockwell's achievement?
Nowhere is Rockwell's achievement clearer than in the second world war era paintings marking their 70th anniversary this year – Rosie the Riveter and the Four Freedoms, the series Rockwell did illustrating the "four freedoms" that President Franklin Roosevelt declared were the bedrock of a democratic society.
What are the four freedoms of Rockwell?
They become a familiar way of life, ideals worth defending: Freedom from Want shows a family sharing a Thanksgiving meal ; Freedom from Fear portrays parents tucking their children into bed; Freedom to Worship consists of close-ups of people of different faiths praying; and Freedom of Speech center s on a town meeting in which a man – who looks much like a beardless Abraham Lincoln – has his say while his neighbors respectfully listen. These paintings, done in a muted palette, reflect Rockwell at his most serious.
What was Rockwell's final painting?
He directly engaged the conflict with his art, and completed one of his most poignant final works – the Problem We All Live With, a painting for Look magazine . The work depicts a young African-American girl, six-year-old Ruby Bridges, being escorted to a formerly all-white school in New Orleans by a cadre of US marshalls protecting herfrom an angry and violent mob.
Who painted the cover of Look the Problem We All Live With?
Detail from Norman Rockwell's civil rights era cover painting for Look, the Problem We All Live With. Photograph: EPA
