Norman Rockwell

(American, 1894–1978)

Norman Rockwell was an American painter and illustrator known for his iconic depictions of American culture created for The Saturday Evening Post. With a range of favorite subjects that included nuclear families, mischievous children, and small-town life, his work has achieved an iconic status: the 1943 painting of a Thanksgiving dinner, Freedom from Want, has been reproduced and parodied countless times in contemporary culture. As an artist, Rockwell has had a lasting effect on US society beyond any singular work, with his paintings seen as indelible images that went on to inspire American directors such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and particularly Robert Zemeckis, whose 1994 film Forrest Gump recreates several of Rockwell’s paintings as scenes throughout the film. Though he enjoyed success throughout his career, Rockwell’s idyllic and sentimental outlook on American society was not necessarily embraced by art critics, though his later politically activist work garnered praise for its tackling of controversial subjects. Born on February 3, 1894 in New York, NY, he went on to study at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League. Rockwell notably had a longstanding relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, for which he contributed illustrations to their annual calendar. He died on November 8, 1978 in Stockbridge, MA.