Norman Rockwell Cover Artist On The Saturday Evening Post

Norman Rockwell was born on February 3 1894 in New York City to his parents Jarvis Waring and Ann Mary Rockwell (nee Hill). From High school he went to art school at Chase Art School when he was 16, from there to the National Academy of Design and then eventually to the Arts Student League. His very earliest art works were produced for St Nicholas Magazine. He got his real break after doing works for the Boy Scouts of America in 1913 at the age of 19 when he was made the editor for Boys Life. from there he had an illustrious and celebrated career passing away at the age of 84 in Massachusetts.

Norman Rockwell Cover Artist On The Saturday Evening Post
An artist featured more than any other, Norman Rockwell featured on 322 covers for the Saturday Evening Post. He was quoted to say “if you did a cover for the Post you had arrived”. His covers depicted everyday life and as well the impacts of political and social events of the time. Starting at the age of 22, Norman had an illustrious career with the Post and ending this career in 1963, becoming the leader in cover artists for the Post. When the Post is mentioned it is his name that pops into mind the most. So successful was he that hundreds of thousands of magazines had to be added to the print run to keep up with demand for his work. His most memorable work was the portrait of J.F Kennedy which was featured twice and was chosen as the memorial cover for the Post.

Norman Rockwell has sometimes been criticized for his too sentimental side to his art. His works depict humor and feeling. His passion for showing the trends of the time put him at the forefront of his profession. His works total over 4000 pieces and can be seen in several museums.

Alana Morgaine
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Norman Rockwell Musuem