The Life of Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell is best known for his depictions of dail life of a rural America. Rockwell's goals in art revolved around his desire to create an ideal America. He said " I paint life as I would like it to be."

The second child of Jarvis W. Rockwell and his wife Nancy, Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in the famous New York City. In his summers he enjoyed life on the countryside, which made a profound impact on his art.

Rockwell remained in Manhattan until 1903, when they moved to Mamaroneck, New York. It was there he decided to pursue a career as an illustrator.

In 1908, He began attending the Chase School of Fine Art. At the age of fifteen he quit high school to enroll in classes at the National Academy of Design. He left the Academy a year after finding out that it was geared towards training of the fine artist rather than the illustrator. He then enrolled in the Art Students League studying inder George Bridgman and Thomas Fogarty. In addition to excelling in his skills in drawing and painting, Rockwell was introduced to the illustration of Howard Pyle.

In 1911, Rockwell illustrated his first book, "Tell Me Why Stories". Two Years later he contributed to "Boys Life", He soon became art director of the magazine. Commissions for other children's magazines, among them "St. Nicholas", "Youths Companion" and "American Boys", soon followed. In 1915, Rockwell moved to New Rochelle, New York, home to many of America's finest Illustrators. He studied the work of older illustrators while painting crisply, painted renditions of fresh-faced kids and dogs.

A turning point in Rockwell's career occurred one year later when he sold five cover illustrations to George Lorimer, editor of the "Saturday Evening Post". For the next four decades, Rockwell's name would be synonymous with the "Post". During that time he produced 322 covers for the magazine.

By the 1920's, Rockwell achieved considerable success. He joined a country club, learned to ride a horse, and fraternized with society type people.

Rockwell moved to Arlington, Vermont in 1939. He remained there until 1953, when he moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, his home for the remainder of his life. In the wake of his death, scholars began to re-assess Rockwell's contribution, linking him to a tradition of