Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Perceval Rockwellwas a 20th-century American author, painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, The Problem We All Live With, Saying Grace, and the Four Freedoms series. He also is...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPainter
Date of Birth3 February 1894
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
If a picture wasn't going very well, I'd put a puppy in it.
I'm not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays!
I'm tired, but proud.
My best efforts were some modern things that looked like very lousy Matisses. Thank God I had the sense to realize they were lousy, and leave Paris.
I learned to draw everything except glamorous women. No matter how much I tried to make them look sexy, they always ended up looking silly... or like somebody's mother.
If there was sadness in this creative world of mine, it was a pleasant sadness. If there were problems, they were humorous problems.
Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable.
How will I be remembered? As a technician or artist? As a humorist or a visionary?
If the public dislikes one of my Post covers, I can't help disliking it myself.
It wouldn't be right for me to clown around when I'm painting a president.
Travel is like a tonic to me. It's more than just getting away from the studio for a brief rest. I need it to recharge my batteries.
The remarks about my reaching the age of Social Security and coming to the end of the road, they jolted me. And that was good. Because I sure as hell had no intention of just sitting around for the rest of my life. So I'd whip out the paints and really go to it.
Eisenhower had about the most expressive face I ever painted, I guess. Just like an actor's. Very mobile. When he talked, he used all the facial muscles. And he had a great, wide mouth that I liked. When he smiled, it was just like the sun came out.
I didn't know what to expect from a famous movie star; maybe that he'd be sort of stuck-up, you know. But not Gary Cooper. He horsed around so much... that I had a hard time painting him.