Norman Rockwell | Romantic Realist painter

Norman Percevel Rockwell (1894-1978) was a 20th century American painter and illustrator.

Rockwell was a prolific artist, producing more than 4,000 original works in his lifetime.

His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created.

Norman Percevel Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894. Norman left high school early to return to New York City, settling at the Arts Student League to study art where his discipline, hard work, and sense of humor were widely recognized.

Considered a modest, retiring man, not given to grand gestures, Norman impressed himself on America's collective imagination by his stubborn adherence to the old values.

His ability to relate these values to the events and circumstances of a rapidly changing world made him a special person - both hero and friend - to millions of his compatriots.

It has often been said that Norman provided a commodity that people could rely on.

This is clearly reflected in more than 4,000 illustrations completed throughout his 47 year career.

He is best known for his contributions to the Saturday Evening Post for whom he produced 332 covers, beginning in 1916.

It is noteworthy that the Post could automatically increase its print order by 250,000 copies when an issue had a cover by Rockwell.

Norman's ability to "get the point across" in one picture, and his flair for painstaking detail made him a favorite of the advertising industry.

Illustrations for booklets, catalogs, posters -particularly movie promotions, sheet music, stamps, playing cards, and murals rounded out Rockwell's oeuvre as an illustrator.

In his later years, Rockwell began receiving more attention as a painter when he chose more serious subjects such as the series on racism for Look magazine.