Happy Birthday!

No man with a conscience can just bat out illustrations. He's got to put all his talent and feeling into them! - Norman P. Rockwell

Having been commissioned by some of greatest leaders in his era, like President Eisenhower, Norman P. Rockwell was born on February 3rd, 1894. He would have been 116 years old today.

Born to Jarvis Waring and Nancy Rockwell in 1894, Rockwell was able to harness his art talents at a young age of 14. His first major breakthrough came at the age of 18 with his first book illustration for Carl H. Claudy's Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature. This breakthrough help lead him to various other opportunities.

From becoming art editor to Boy's Life to being commissioned for personal portraits, Norman Rockwell wasn't always as celebrated and well-liked as he is today. Many of Rockwell's works were not taken seriously by most contemporary artists and critics. They would often regard his paintings and drawings as "bourgeois and kitsch." He was branded an illustrator. As time went on, Rockwell began receiving more attention as a painter when he began choosing more serious subjects. Many of his pieces helped influence future movies and the American way of life.

Rockwell died on November 8th, 1978 of emphysema at the age of 84 in Stockbridge, MA. One of the many attendees at his funeral included First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

(February 3rd 1894 - November 8th, 1978)

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