Norman Rockwell

Rockwell was married to his first wife, Irene O’Connor from 1916-1930. She was his model in the illustration, ‘Mother Tucking Children into Bed (1921)’. Their marriage ended in divorce.

In 1930, he married Mary Barstow, a schoolteacher, and the couple had three sons together: Jarvis, Thomas and Peter. Mary died of a sudden heart attack in 1959, which left him very depressed for years.

He married for the third time to Mary Leete ‘Molly’ Punderson in 1961 and remained married to her until his death.

Norman Rockwell was born in New York City to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne Mary Rockwell. His father was a manager at a Philadelphia textile firm and mother was a homemaker.

From very early Rockwell knew that he wanted to be an artist. At 14 he decided to take classes at The New School of Art and later, dropped out of school and enrolled at the National Academy of Design.

He later took admission at the Art Students League of New York and right after graduation, he started working as an illustrator for the ‘Boy’s Life’ magazine.

In 1916, the young 22 year old Rockwell painted his first cover for the ‘Saturday Evening Post’. This was the beginning of a collaboration that worked out successfully for the next 47 years of his life.

Rockwell followed that success with ‘Circus Barker and Strongman’, ‘Gramps at the Plate’, ‘Redhead Loves Hatty Perkins’, ‘People in a Theatre Balcony’ and ‘Man Playing Santa.

His successful work published in the Post fetched him more work from renowned publications like, ‘The Literary Digest’, ‘The Country Gentleman’, ‘Leslie's Weekly’, ‘Judge’, ‘Peoples Popular Monthly’, ‘Life Magazine, etc.

During World War I, Rockwell wanted to get enlisted in the army but he was refused because he was underweight. He spent the next night hogging on fatty food, which got him enrolment as a military artist.

During WWII, Rockwell created the ‘Four Freedom’ series, which was inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the series he explained the four principles for universal rights: ‘Freedom from Want’, ‘Freedom of Speech’, ‘Freedom of Worship’ and ‘Freedom from Fear’.

The most prominent work of Rockwell’s life is considered to be his forty seven year old association with the ‘Saturday Evening Post’, for which he made 321 illustrations and his most famous artistic works were published in it.