Norman Rockwell

Posted October 14, 2007, 9:25 am by Growing Bolder



Norman Rockwell
Born: Feb. 3, 1894
Died: Nov. 8, 1978

The name Norman Rockwell is practically synonymous with Americana. His paintings and illustrations are known and loved the world-over for their humorous look at everyday life in America in the early part of 20th century.

Rockwell employed themes of patriotism, diligence, family, courtship, holidays and small embarrassments. He was best known as a master of fine detail, painting covers for American magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, The Ladies Home Journal and Look.

• At age 66 (In 1960), he published his autobiography, "My Adventures as an Illustrator."
• At age 69, he painted the last of his 321 covers for The Saturday Evening Post.

After the Age of Seventy

• A prolific worker, Rockwell produced more than 2,000 original works of art, many after the age of 70.
• At age 70, After 47 years at The Saturday Evening Post, he worked at Look Magazine, illlustrating civil rights and poverty issues in America.
• At age 82 (In 1976), he completed his final work -- a picture of him draping a banner on the Statue of Liberty.
• At age 83, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian honor) from President Gerald Ford.

Quotes:

• "The remarks about my reaching the age of Social Security and coming to the end of the road, they jolted me. And that was good. Because I sure as hell had no intention of just sitting around for the rest of my life. So I'd whip out the paints and really go to it. "
• The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.
  
• Very interesting for an old duffer like me to try his hand at something new. If I don't do that once in a while, I might just turn into a fossil, you know!
  
• "Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible."

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