Norman Rockwell’s “Love Song” is on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Image provided.

By Darla McCammon
and DeeAnna Muraski
Guest Columnists

WARSAW — Over the 15-plus years we have written this column, we have discussed this week’s artist several times. But the brush we are using to paint his picture this week is unique in light of our Art in America series. An abrupt change from our groundbreaking dramatic artist of last week, Jackson Pollock, this week’s artist has very broad appeal in a different way. Norman Rockwell is generally beloved and a true pleasure to claim as an American artist.

Norman Percevel Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. His artistic talent was realized very early, and he was quickly transferred out of high school and into Chase Art School when only 14 years old. Later he went on to attend the National Academy of Design. Like most of our artists in this current series, Rockwell also took a foray to Europe in order to study art. While excited with new techniques, he kept to the older masters while modernizing with bolder colors and realistic settings.

Through a lucky break of gaining required minimum weight, Rockwell was able to enlist in the Navy. Similar to Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney, Rockwell became a military artist and became friends with Disney. He almost immediately started illustrating for magazines, a profession that he would continue throughout his life. His most famous collaborations were for the Boy Scouts and Life magazine. Throughout his career he produced an astounding 4,000 original paintings.

Rockwell’s artwork was significant to America for the regionalism and realism styles. He would take real instances, stage them with actors and friends, then paint them. His perfectionistic attention to detail is what captures our heart: the mischievous little boy with dirty fingernails, or the craggy missing tooth, the short boy with the pants puddling on the floor.

There is a saying that if you are looking for something you will find that thing. So instead of looking for trouble, Rockwell looked for the beauty in America. And he found it by the bushel but not in the typical places. He chose to find beauty in the mundane, uncelebrated, and put a spotlight on it. Rockwell’s artwork came at a time in our history when Americans needed to discover the simple pure beauty of people, America and retain their hope in the future and its possibilities. His paintings evoked a smile, a remembrance and a coveting to be placed in that happy spot depicted in the painting. There is no struggle to see the art in his artwork; it is bold and center stage.

Rockwell’s work is exacting with extremely difficult perspective effortlessly showcased. His 1951 “Saying Grace” painting includes a striped blue rug, dining room table with a red checkered tablecloth, a young boy and elderly grandparents all conveyed with such precision you can feel the heat of the sun streaming through the gossamer curtains. Each painting is a study in the mastery of perspective, shadow, light, human figures/anatomy and storytelling.

Rockwell lived a long life, passing away in 1978 at the age of 83. His death came shortly after he received the long overdue Presidential Medal of Freedom for his four war panel paintings helping to raise more than $130 million toward the war effort in the mid-1940s. His popular paintings have retained their prominence and endurance, further evidence of the true artistry in Rockwell’s ability.

Abigail Rockwell, granddaughter of Norman Rockwell, said: “Some say life will never be as perfect as life in a Norman Rockwell painting. But my grandfather’s work isn’t about an unachievable ideal. Pop’s work is about believing in the goodness of people. It’s about finding that goodness in ourselves and others and in the moments we spend with one another.”