Editing Norman Rockwell (section)

==Life==

===Early years===
[[File:BoysLifeSeptember1913.png|thumb|upright|''Scout at Ship's Wheel'', 1913]]
Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894, in [[New York City]], to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne Mary "Nancy" (née Hill) Rockwell<ref>{{cite book | last =Boughton | first = James |year=1903 |title= Genealogy of the families of John Rockwell, of Stamford, Connecticut 1641, and Ralph Keeler, of Hartford, Connecticut 1939 | publisher = WF Jones |page=441}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 =Roberts | first1 = Gary Boyd | first2 = David Curtis | last2 = Dearborn | year =1998 |title=Notable Kin: An Anthology of Columns First Published in the NEHGS Nexus, 1986–1995 | place = Boston, Massachusetts | publisher = Carl Boyer in cooperation with the New England Historic Genealogical Society |page= 28 | isbn= 978-0-936124-20-9}}</ref>{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=20, 29}} His father was a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]]<!-- Presbyterian Church (USA) --> and his mother was an [[Episcopalianism|Episcopalian]];{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=28}} two years after their engagement, he converted to the Episcopal faith.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=29}} Rockwell's earliest American ancestor was John Rockwell (1588–1662), from [[Somerset]], England, who immigrated to colonial [[North America]], probably in 1635, aboard the ship ''Hopewell'' and became one of the first settlers of [[Windsor, Connecticut]]. Rockwell had one brother, Jarvis Jr., older by a year and a half.<ref name=RockwellM-NRGUinA-p10-11>{{cite book | last =Rockwell | first = Margaret |year= 1998 |title = Norman Rockwell's Growing Up in America |publisher=Metro Books |pages=10–11 |isbn = 978-1-56799-598-5}}</ref><ref>SSDI. – SS#: 177-01-3581.</ref> Jarvis Sr. was the manager of the New York office of a Philadelphia textile firm, George Wood, Sons & Company, where he spent his entire career.<ref name=RockwellM-NRGUinA-p10-11 />{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=30, 47, 150}}<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Rockwell | first1 = Norman | first2 = Thomas | last2 = Rockwell |year= 1988 |title= Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator | publisher = Abrams | page=27 |isbn= 978-0-8109-1563-3}}</ref>

Rockwell transferred from high school to the Chase Art School (later [[Parsons School of Design]]) at the age of 14. He then went on to the [[National Academy of Design]] and finally to the [[Art Students League of New York]].{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=91–93, 99}} There, Rockwell was taught by Thomas Fogarty, [[George Bridgman]], and [[Frank DuMond|Frank Vincent DuMond]];{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=93–97, 112}} his early works were produced for ''[[St. Nicholas Magazine]]'', the [[Boy Scouts of America]] (BSA) magazine ''[[Boys' Life]]'',{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=113}} and other youth publications. As a student, Rockwell had some small jobs, including one as a [[supernumerary actor|supernumerary]] at the [[Metropolitan Opera]].{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=101}} His first major artistic job came at age 18, illustrating [[Carl H. Claudy]]'s book ''Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature''.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=102}}

After that, Rockwell was hired as a staff artist for ''Boys' Life''. In this role, he received 50 dollars' compensation each month for one completed cover and a set of story illustrations. It is said to have been his first paying job as an artist.<ref>{{cite web |title=Norman Rockwell |url=http://www.bsamuseum.org/Exhibitions/Rockwell.aspx |website=National Scouting Museum |publisher=Boy Scouts of America |date=2010 |access-date=July 18, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023054615/http://bsamuseum.org/Exhibitions/Rockwell.aspx |archive-date=October 23, 2014 }}</ref> At 19, Rockwell became the art editor for ''Boys' Life'', published by the Boy Scouts of America. He held the job for three years,<ref name=Scouting08>{{cite journal |title = Rockwell and Csatari: A tour de force |journal=[[Scouting (magazine)|Scouting]] |date= March–April 2008 |page= 6}}</ref> during which Rockwell painted several covers, beginning with his first published magazine cover, ''Scout at Ship's Wheel'', which appeared on the ''Boys' Life'' September 1913 edition.

===Association with ''The Saturday Evening Post''===
[[File:Norman Rockwell Red Cross Magazine 1918.jpg|thumb|upright|Rockwell's first Scouting calendar, 1925]]
[[File:SaturdayEveningPost27Sep1924.jpg|thumb|''Saturday Evening Post'' cover (September 27, 1924)]]
[[File:Norman Rockwell - Cousin Reginald Spells Peloponnesus (Spelling Bee) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''Cousin Reginald Spells Peloponnesus''. Norman Rockwell, 1918.]]

Rockwell's family moved to [[New Rochelle, New York|New Rochelle]], New York, when Norman was 21 years old. They shared a studio with the [[cartoonist]] Clyde Forsythe, who worked for ''The Saturday Evening Post''. With Forsythe's help, Rockwell submitted his first successful cover painting to the ''Post'' in 1916,{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=130–132}} ''Mother's Day Off'' (published on May 20). He followed that success with ''Circus Barker and Strongman'' (published on June 3), ''Gramps at the Plate'' (August 5), ''Redhead Loves Hatty Perkins'' (September 16), ''People in a Theatre Balcony'' (October 14), and ''Man Playing Santa'' (December 9). Rockwell was published eight times on the ''Post'' cover within the first year. Ultimately, Rockwell published 323 original covers<!--number of covers differs from figure in paragraph below, which is correct?--> for ''The Saturday Evening Post'' over 47 years. His ''Sharp Harmony'' appeared on the cover of the issue dated September 26, 1936; it depicts a [[barber]] and three clients, enjoying an [[a cappella]] song. The image was adopted by [[Barbershop Harmony Society|SPEBSQSA]] in its promotion of the art.

Rockwell's success on the cover of the ''Post'' led to covers for other magazines of the day, most notably the ''[[Literary Digest]]'', the ''[[Country Gentleman]]'', ''[[Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper|Leslie's Weekly]]'', ''[[Judge (magazine)|Judge]]'', ''Peoples Popular Monthly'' and [[Life (magazine)|''Life'']] magazine.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=151}}

When Rockwell's tenure began with ''The Saturday Evening Post'' in 1916, he left his salaried position at ''Boys' Life'', but continued to include scouts in ''Post'' cover images and the monthly magazine of the ''American Red Cross''. He resumed work with the Boy Scouts of America in 1926 with production of his first of fifty-one original illustrations for the official Boy Scouts of America annual calendar, which still may be seen in the ''Norman Rockwell Art Gallery'' at the [[National Scouting Museum]]<ref>{{ cite web |title=Norman Rockwell |url=http://www.bsamuseum.org |website=National Scouting Museum |publisher=Boy Scouts of America |date=2010 |access-date=July 18, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715113144/http://www.bsamuseum.org/ |archive-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref> in [[Cimarron, New Mexico]].

During World War I, he tried to enlist into the U.S. Navy but was refused entry because, at {{convert|140|lb|kg|0}}, he was eight pounds underweight for someone {{convert |6|ft|m}} tall. To compensate, he spent one night gorging himself on bananas, liquids and doughnuts, and weighed enough to enlist the next day. He was given the role of a military artist, however, and did not see any action during his tour of duty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patriotspoint.org/news_events/norman-rockwell-at-the-charleston-navy-yard/ |title=Norman Rockwell at The Charleston Navy Yard |first=Waring |last=Hills |date=June 9, 2010 |access-date=July 18, 2014 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413060758/http://www.patriotspoint.org/news_events/norman-rockwell-at-the-charleston-navy-yard/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===World War II===
[[File:"Freedom of Speech" - NARA - 513536.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Freedom of Speech (painting)|Freedom of Speech]]'', 1943]]
In 1943, during [[World War II]], Rockwell painted the ''[[Four Freedoms (Norman Rockwell)|Four Freedoms]]'' series, which was completed in seven months and resulted in him losing fifteen pounds. The series was inspired by a speech by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], wherein Roosevelt described and articulated [[Four Freedoms]] for universal rights. Rockwell then painted ''[[Freedom from Want (painting)|Freedom from Want]]'', ''[[Freedom of Speech (painting)|Freedom of Speech]]'', ''[[Freedom of Worship (painting)|Freedom of Worship]]''<ref name="Norman Rockwell Museum Detail Page">{{cite web | url = http://collections.nrm.org/search.do?id=249308&db=object&page=1&view=detail | title = Terms of Use | publisher = NRM | work = Collections | access-date = April 28, 2012 | archive-date = April 15, 2013 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130415124028/http://collections.nrm.org/search.do?id=249308&db=object&page=1&view=detail | url-status = live }}</ref> and ''[[Freedom from Fear (painting)|Freedom from Fear]]''.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=311}}

The paintings were published in 1943 by ''The Saturday Evening Post''. Rockwell used the Pennell shipbuilding family from Brunswick, Maine as models for two of the paintings, ''Freedom from Want'' and ''A Thankful Mother'', and would combine models from photographs and his own vision to create his idealistic paintings. The United States Department of the Treasury later promoted [[war bond]]s by exhibiting the originals in sixteen cities. Rockwell considered ''Freedom of Speech'' to be the best of the four.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=308–309, 313}}

[[File:"Freedom From Want" - NARA - 513539.jpg|thumb|upright|left|''[[Freedom from Want (painting)|Freedom from Want]]'', 1943]]
That same year, a fire in his studio destroyed numerous original paintings, costumes, and props.<ref name="Caplin">{{Citation | first = Elliott | last = Caplin | title = Al Capp Remembered | year = 1994}}.</ref> Because the period costumes and props were irreplaceable, the fire split his career into two phases, the second phase depicting modern characters and situations. Rockwell was contacted by writer [[Elliott Caplin]], brother of cartoonist [[Al Capp]], with the suggestion that the three of them should make a daily [[comic strip]] together, with Caplin and his brother writing and Rockwell drawing. King Features Syndicate is reported to have promised a $1,000 per week deal, knowing that a Capp–Rockwell collaboration would gain strong public interest. The project was ultimately aborted, however, as it turned out that Rockwell, known for his perfectionism as an artist, could not deliver material so quickly as would be required of him for a daily comic strip.<ref name="Caplin" />

===Later career===
During the late 1940s, Norman Rockwell spent the winter months as artist-in-residence at [[Otis College of Art and Design]]. Occasionally, students were models for his ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'' covers.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|pp=131–132}} In 1949, Rockwell donated an original ''Post'' cover, ''April Fool'', to be raffled off in a library fund raiser.

In 1959, after his wife Mary died suddenly from a heart attack,{{sfn|Gherman|2000|p=35}} Rockwell took time off from his work to grieve. It was during that break that he and his son Thomas produced Rockwell's autobiography, ''My Adventures as an Illustrator'', which was published in 1960. The ''Post'' printed excerpts from this book in eight consecutive issues, the first containing Rockwell's famous ''[[Triple Self-Portrait]]''.{{sfn|Claridge|2001|p=430}}

[[File:Rockwell studio rear.jpg|thumb|Norman Rockwell's studio in
[[Stockbridge, Massachusetts]]]]
Rockwell's last painting for the ''Post'' was published in 1963, marking the end of a publishing relationship that had included 321 cover paintings<!--differs from figure in paragraph above, which is correct?-->. He spent the next 10 years painting for [[Look (American magazine)|''Look'' magazine]], where his work depicted his interests in civil rights, poverty, and [[space exploration]].

In 1966, Rockwell was invited to Hollywood to paint portraits of the stars of the film [[Stagecoach (1966 film)|''Stagecoach'']], and also found himself appearing as an extra in the film, playing a "mangy old gambler".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrm.org/MT/text/StageCoach.html|title="Stagecoach" Portraits|access-date=December 8, 2016|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073035/http://www.nrm.org/MT/text/StageCoach.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1968, Rockwell was commissioned to do an album cover portrait of [[Mike Bloomfield]] and [[Al Kooper]] for their record, ''[[The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper]]''.<ref name=VF>{{cite magazine|last=Kamp|first=David|title=Erratum: Norman Rockwell Actually Did Rock Well|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2009/10/erratum-norman-rockwell-actually-did-rock-well.html|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=February 24, 2011|archive-date=March 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301113221/http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2009/10/erratum-norman-rockwell-actually-did-rock-well.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

As a tribute on the 75th anniversary of Rockwell's birth, officials of Brown & Bigelow and the Boy Scouts of America asked Rockwell to pose in ''Beyond the Easel'' as the illustration for the 1969 Boy Scout calendar.<ref>{{cite book | first = William | last = Hillcourt | title = Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting | publisher=Harry N. Abrams |location = New York | year = 1977 | isbn = 978-0-8109-1582-4 | author-link = William Hillcourt}}</ref>

In 1969 the [[United States Bureau of Reclamation|U. S. Bureau of Reclamation]] commissioned Rockwell to paint the [[Glen Canyon Dam]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bsumek |first1=Erika |title=Out of the Shadows: Norman Rockwell, Navajos, and American Politics |journal=Environmental History |date=2013 |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=423–430 |jstor=24690430 |doi=10.1093/envhis/emt028 }}</ref>

His last commission for the Boy Scouts of America was a calendar illustration titled ''The Spirit of 1976'', which was completed when Rockwell was 82, concluding a partnership which generated 471 images for periodicals, guidebooks, calendars, and promotional materials. His connection to the BSA spanned 64 years, marking the longest professional association of his career. His legacy and style for the BSA has been carried on by [[Joseph Csatari]].

For "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country", Rockwell was awarded the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], the United States of America's highest civilian honor, in 1977 by President [[Gerald Ford]]. Rockwell's son, Jarvis, accepted the award.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=5550 | title = Gerald Ford, XXXVIII President of the United States: 1974–1977, Remarks Upon Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, January 10, 1977 | access-date = May 22, 2011 | last = Wolley | first = John T. | author2 = Gerhard Peters | date = June 9, 1980 | work = The American Presidency Project | publisher = www.presidency.ucsb.edu | quote = But let me again congratulate each and every one of you. I regret that Irving Berlin, Alexander Calder, the late Alexander Calder, and Georgia O'Keeffe were unable to be represented here today. We will of course present their medals to them or to their families at a later date. | archive-date = February 2, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202131816/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=5550 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

====Death====
[[File:Norman Rockwell grave 02.jpg|thumb|right|Rockwell's grave in Stockbridge Cemetery]]
Rockwell died on November 8, 1978, of [[emphysema]] at the age of&nbsp;84 in his Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home.<ref>{{cite web |title=Norman Rockwell: A Brief Biography |url=https://www.nrm.org/about/about-2/about-norman-rockwell/ |website=Norman Rockwell Museum |access-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613065307/http://www.nrm.org/about/about-2/about-norman-rockwell/ |url-status=live }}</ref> First Lady [[Rosalynn Carter]] attended Rockwell's funeral.