Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)

For more than 60 years, Norman Rockwell's works have enchanted the public with their clear-eyed, humorous and accurate picture of the heartland of American life. He worked in the tradition of the great artist commentators of the past, and like them, had the uncanny skill of projecting the tenor of his time. His covers for the Saturday Evening Post, 318 of them over some 40 years, made him the most popular illustrator of his day.

Born in New York City, Rockwell left high school to study at the National Academy of Design. At 16, he began studies at the Art Students League and was a successfully established illustrator by age 22. He held memberships in the Artist's Guild, the Salmagundi Club and the American Society of Illustrators.

During the 1950s he painted what became his best known works, a series of four murals depicting the four freedoms for the Nassau Tavern in Princeton, New Jersey. His legacy to us is a vision of American virtue, pride and tradition all painted with a charming insight that was uniquely his own. In this country Norman Rockwell is widely considered the best known artist who ever lived.