Born February 3, 1894

New York, New York

Died November 8, 1978

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Artist

"Rockwell's practical sense of his own duty for World War II was to create images that would ensure the men and women fighting overseas got the … emotional support that sentimental images would ensure…."
—From Norman Rockwell: A Life
Norman Rockwell. © Bettmann/Corbis. Reproduced by permission.

Norman Rockwell was one of America's leading artists. He considered himself first and foremost an illustrator. Rockwell painted a great number of pictures for story illustrations, advertising campaigns, posters, calendars, and books. His long career spanned the days of horses and buggies to the days of space travel. The cover of the highly respected The Saturday Evening Post was his showcase for nearly fifty years.

Rockwell was taught that an illustration is an author's words in paint. He chose to tell the story of the American dream. The story he...