American Spirit
Norman Rockwell’s vision of small-town life pays a call on Tacoma.
By Laura Dannen
WITH THE SAME humility that infused his paintings, Norman Rockwell refused to consider himself an artist—“commercial illustrator” was more appropriate. And though his work graced greeting cards and Jell-O ads, he became one of our country’s most enduring painters with his nuanced portraits of everyday America—a town meeting, a family gathered for a Thanksgiving feast—that covered The Saturday Evening Post for nearly 50 years.
Now through May, more than 300 of those covers and 44 paintings will be on display at Tacoma Art Museum. From the cheeky rebellion of No Swimming (1921, pictured) to the powerful civil rights commentary of The Problem We All Live With (1963), Rockwell’s iconic paintings portray an America coming of age.
Published: February 2011
Thanks for the shout out on the Rockwell show. Here are some fun facts about Norman Rockwell.
Do You Know Rockwell?
10 Things You Might Not Know About Norman Rockwell
1. As a young boy, Rockwell was inspired by the stories of Charles Dickens.
2. Norman Rockwell’s favorite painter was Rembrandt.
3. Rockwell earned the nickname “The Deacon” for being one of the hardest working, most advanced students in his class at the Art Students League in New York.
4. Rockwell’s job as art director for Boys Life where he was responsible for producing cover art, illustrating one story per issue, and hiring and editing any artwork for the magazine only paid him $50 a month.
5. Norman Rockwell was a celebrity judge at the 1922, 1923, and 1925 Miss America Beauty Contest in Atlantic City.
6. Rockwell produced nearly 4,000 images, including 800 hundred magazine covers and more than 150 advertising campaigns.
7. Famous celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Arnold Palmer posed for portraits in Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio.
8. Following his father’s death, Rockwell moved to Paris for a short time to take a break and find inspiration.
9. Norman Rockwell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, which is the highest civilian award in the nation.
10. In 1963, he ended his 47-year association with The Saturday Evening Post and began to work for Look magazine. During his 10-year association with Look, Rockwell painted pictures illustrating some of his deepest concerns and interests, including civil rights, America’s war on poverty, and the exploration of space. It was during this period that he painted the iconic working showing Ruby Bridges being escorted to school by federal marshals, The Problem We All Live With.
The Norman Rockwell Museum is located in Stockbridge, MA.
Norman Rockwell lived from 1894 – 1978.
Come visit the exhibition, www.TacomaArtMuseum.org