Popular American Artists; Norman Rockwell

In the U.S.A. Norman Rockwell is one of the best known American artists who ever lived. His typical subject was average America. Mr. Rockwell painted Americana with such affection for so many years that a truly remarkable history of American culture has been compiled through his art. From wars, depression, and exploration of space, Rockwell has drawn subjects from the everyday happenings of which most American lives are made. Millions of people have been moved by his picture stories about awkwardness of youth and the comforts of home, pride of country, and heritage.

As the U.S struggles with its identity today, it is particularly moving to see see Rockwell's oil paintings and his view of American life with its traditional family values and pride of country that many of Norman Rockwell classics exhibit.

Norman Rockwell has illustrated American culture, and become a major visual chronicler of American history and society. He has done this from tow perspectives, by recording such major international events as man's first walk on the moon, and also by depicting everyday American traditions and activities. The charm and the memorable quality of his art are largely the result of his painstaking care and detail combined with accuracy, his focus on telling a story, his sense of humor, and sincere, sympathetic view many of personalities and situations. With remarkable perception, over the years he has portrayed the American dream, and has become one of the most popular and best remembered artist in America.

In 1968 when Bernard Danenberg began exhibiting Rockwell's paintings in his New York gallery, he began an important revival and re-evaluation of Norman Rockewell, which resulted in several books and a major traveling exhibition.

Norman Rockwell pictures have a quality that stands out among other popular artists. American life, with its morality, Christian values and tradition, combined with the desire, will and determination of getting ahead are painted out in living color. They display the unique freedom to live, succeed and raise a good clean family that Americans hold dear to them.

The things that make America Great come to life in Norman Rockwell's most famous oil paintings.

If you look at the photo above you can hardly take your eyes off it. The perfect female image. Small, shapely, not fat, and sweet looking. No matter how much times change we are still attracted to the ultra feminine attributes that separate woman from man. The lady is in such alarming contrast to the big, strapping sailor she is talking to, and the image is breathtaking. After viewing the beauty of the extremely male and female couple we then focus on the men in the window and have to smile at the comedy surrounding the couple.

Gil Elvgren had a similar style of using pin up models who took the viewer in with their feminine innocents and as the viewer scanned around he found some comedy.

The painting says it all. The young secretary cannot stay focused on what her old and boring boss is saying. She is too busy watching the young stud in the window flirt with her. How many times have we found ourselves in this situation?

Rockwell was famous for self portraits. Throughout his career he used himself as subject, and was usually seen with a pipe in his mouth.

Rockwell often used staged photos to work from. This is a photograph of his neighbor. Rockwell used his neighbor's basic shape and pose to create the "Tattooist."