Norman Rockwell
1894 - 1978
Every picture tells a story…
New York
Norman Rockwell
was born in New York
City in 1894. For
more than 60 years
he painted familiar,
everyday scenes that
people felt were part
of their own lives. By
the time he died in
1978, Norman had
become one of
America’s all-time
favorite artists.
“Freedom From Fear”
Illustrator
Norman’s most
famous pictures are
illustrations he
made for books,
ads, and especially
magazine covers.
Every picture tells a story…
Illustrations are
pictures that help
tell a story.
Usually, book
publishers or
advertising
agencies ask
artists to do
illustrations, and
then pay them for
their work.
“Freedom of Speech”
“Freedom to Worship”
Art Critics
During Norman’s time,
important art critics
didn’t take illustrators
seriously or consider
their work to be fine art.
Art Critics
This snobby attitude
always disappointed
Norman. He felt that
great illustrations
were every bit as
important as great
museum paintings.
Early Works
Some of the first
drawings Norman
remembered making
were scenes from books
by Charles Dickens. On
cold winter nights when
Norman was 4 or 5 years
old, his father would read
to the family around the
dining room table.
“Freedom
From Want”
Growing Up
Norman grew up in a
pretty rough and
tough neighborhood.
He was lucky to be
able to draw. It was
about the only thing
he was good at.
“New Kids in the Neighborhood”
Norman was always
super-skinny and
terrible at sports.
To make matters worse,
his older brother was the
best athlete in the
neighborhood. Without
art, Norman felt kids
would have just thought
of him as a “skinny,
pigeon-toed, narrowshouldered lump.
Destined to Draw
Norman knew he wanted to
be an artist for as long as he
could remember. When he
was 16, he decided to leave
high school and study art
seriously. Norman went to
several art schools in NYC,
including the Art Students’
League, started by one of
his favorite art heroes,
Howard Pyle.
The Tatooist
Norman thought Howard Pyle was one of
the greatest illustrators ever. He loved
the detail Pyle used in his works.
Howard’s drawings seemed so real, they
give you the feeling that Howard might
have been right there during the
adventure with pirates or King Arthur and
his knights.
Norman admired other illustrators like
Frederic Remington and J.C.
Leyendecker. These artists worked
during a time in history known as the
Golden Age of Illustration. They had a
way of bringing the characters in a story
to life and making you feel like part of
the adventure. Norman dreamed of
being able to do the same thing one
day.
The Masters
Norman also enjoyed the work of
great master artists from the
past. NYC had plenty of
museums where Norman could
go to see paintings by
Rembrandt, Vermeer and
Bruegel. It’s easy to see the
effect these great artists had on
some of Norman’s paintings.
Norman was also influenced by his memories of family summer trips.
Each year the Rockwells spent a few weeks in the country.
Norman loved spending time in the fresh, clean air. He especially
enjoyed the people he met.
Norman was much happier
there than in the overcrowded,
dirty and unfriendly city. Early
on, Norman Rockwell decided
his artwork would show life
only as he would like it to be.
The teachers at the
art school liked
Norman and they
helped him get his
first big job – doing
illustrations for a
children’s book
called Tell Me Why
Stories. Norman
rented a studio with
the money he made.
Norman did such a good job
he got more jobs right away.
The editor of Boy’s Life
magazine asked him to do
some drawings for a
camping handbook. The
editor liked the illustrations
so much that he offered
Norman a job as art director.
At the age of 19, Norman
Rockwell had the important
job of making illustrations
and deciding how the entire
magazine should look.
Big Dreams
Norman’s dream of becoming a
top illustrator was coming true.
But his biggest dream was to
illustrate a cover for the Saturday
Evening Post, the most important
magazine in the US at that time.
Only the best artists were asked to
illustrate Post covers…and he was
almost afraid to even try.
Fortunately, Norman shared a
studio with an artist friend who
encouraged him to show his
work to the Post magazine
people. After months of putting
it off, Norman finally gathered
up his courage and a few
illustrations and went to the
magazine office.
He thought he’d never sell his
work, and was so nervous he
was soaked in sweat. But the
Post loved Norman’s work!
A Dream Come True
Norman’s first Post cover
showed two boys making fun
of a third boy who has been
forced to babysit and can’t
play. Norman ended up
doing more than 300 covers
for the Saturday Evening
Post.
Most of Norman’s
illustrations show his
sense of humor and love
of people.
One thing that makes
Norman Rockwell’s
illustrations so
wonderful is the way
they tell a story
without words.
Norman had a way
of designing his
pictures so that
everything he
shows draws your
attention to the
main idea.
Details
Norman was very careful
to make sure all the
details in his illustrations
were as authentic as
possible. Norman filled
his paintings with tons of
familiar objects. It’s fun to
look at his pictures again
and again to see if you
missed anything.
Norman Rockwell could
draw people and objects
as well as any great
artist. He used his
special talent, along with
an original sense of
humor, to show people
all over the world were
really pretty good.
What a Wonderful World
By Louis Armstrong
I see trees of green…
red roses, too
I see them bloom…
for me and for you
And I think to myself…
what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue…
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day…
dark sacred night
And I think to myself…
what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow…
so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
of people going by
I see friends shaking hands…
sayin’, “How do you do?”
They’re really sayin’
“I love you.”
I hear babies cry…
I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more…
than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself…
what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself…
what a wonderful world.
“Dear friends, let us love one another…”
1 John 4:7
Norman Rockwell
1894 - 1978
Our Masterpiece
“The Dugout” Norman Rockwell, 1948
So what am I going to
ask you to do?
Write your name on the back and flip your
paper over to the magazine cover.
Kyle Durham
•In pencil, lightly sketch your scene.
•Pick a time when emotions are high.
CTA Independence
Evening Post
•Use markers or colored pencils to add color
to your pencil sketch.
CTA Independence
Evening Post
When you have finished, give your cover to
one of the Art Masterpiece volunteers.
Return any art supplies to their place.
After your area is clean,
you may work on an activity page
or read quietly at your desk.