Norman Rockwell was a renowned American artist known for his realistic paintings of home, family, childhood, and famous figures. He illustrated for various publications and companies, including the Saturday Evening Post and the Boy Scouts of America. His artwork captured the essence of scenes and addressed social issues such as segregation and civil rights. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and his work remains popular today.
It was streamlined and unpretentious. No one would pick American artist Norman Rockwell out of a crowd, but his brand of realism in art has made his work instantly recognizable and endeared him to the hearts of millions around the world.
Born February 3, 1894, Norman Percevel Rockwell discovered his talent for art early and attended the Art Students League School. He produced his first professional work at the age of 16. Shortly thereafter, he was commissioned to illustrate the Tell Me Why series of children’s books and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) magazine Boys’ Life. Norman Rockwell worked with the BSA for the next 50 years.
Norman Rockwell also illustrated magazine covers; his contract with the Saturday Evening Post yielded 321 covers. He has also illustrated commercials for companies as diverse as Jell-O, Coca-Cola and Pan American Airlines. His “Four Freedoms” group has been reprinted for countless public buildings nationwide.
Norman Rockwell had a knack for capturing the very essence of a scene. Whether it was a drawing of a young couple applying for a marriage license or a boy pitching his first baseball game, Norman Rockwell’s paintings put the viewer at the center of the action. Much of his work has focused on home, family, childhood, but in recent years he has addressed issues such as segregation and the civil rights movement. His paintings of Christmas celebrations certainly helped crystallize the popular view of Santa Claus in America.
Norman Rockwell also painted portraits of many celebrities of his era. In these, he also captured the people behind the image. He painted comedians Jack Benny and Bob Hope; Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy; and world leaders Nehru and Nasser. In 1977, President Gerald Ford presented Norman Rockwell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
Although Norman Rockwell died in 1978, his artwork still appears in advertisements, calendars and books. Many books cover various aspects of his artistic career, including Saturday Evening Post covers, advertising illustrations, and holiday paintings. His work is uniquely American and encompasses within its scope the history, joys, fears, tragedies and hopes of a nation.
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