Norman Rockwell: Illustrating America

Norman Rockwell: Illustrating America

I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed. My fundamental purpose is to interpret the typical American. I am a story teller.

—Norman Rockwell

If you've ever seen old copies of the Saturday Evening Post, no doubt you're familiar with American artist Norman Rockwell. He created 321 covers for the well-regarded magazine, and the Post always sold more copies when one of Rockwell's drawings was on the front page. The accomplished artist also illustrated Boy Scouts of America calendars, Christmas cards, children's books, and even a few stamps for the U.S. Postal Service—and in 1994, a stamp bearing his image came out in his honor. His illustrations tended to fit the theme of Americana, family, or patriotism.

Born in New York City in 1894, the talented designer had a knack for art early on, but strengthened his talent with instruction at the National Academy of Design and later Art Students League. He was only 22 when he sold his first cover to the Post. He was married three times and had three sons by his second wife. He died in 1978 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he had lived since 1953.

Famous works include his Triple Self Portrait and the Four Freedoms illustrations done during World War II. They represent the freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. In a poetic twist, decades later, in 1977, President Gerald R. Ford bestowed on Rockwell the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor a U.S. citizen can be given. Ford praised Rockwell for his "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country."