Masterpiece of the month. (Norman Rockwell).Meet the Artist * Norman Rockwell Noun 1. Norman Rockwell - United States illustrator whose works present a sentimental idealized view of everyday life (1894-1978) Rockwell , born in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. in 1894, made a lasting impression on America. Between 1916 and 1963, he painted more than 300 covers for the Saturday Evening Post, reaching an unimaginably wide audience. It wasn't just the exposure, but also the content of Rockwell's paintings, which gained him much adoration. The artist once wrote, "I paint life as I would like it to be." In his almost photographic style, Rockwell painted quintessential American stories familiar to us all. In 1957, the Chamber of Commerce called Rockwell the Greatest Living American--a name with which most of his admirers would agree. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Medal of Freedom highest award given a U.S. citizen; established 1963. [Am. Hist.: Misc.] See : Prize in 1977 for his "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country." The following year, Rockwell died at the age of 84. Painting With Students * Discuss the sayings every picture tells a story and a picture is worth a thousand words A picture is worth a thousand words is a proverb that refers to the idea that complex stories can be told with just a single still image, or that an image may be more influential than a substantial amount of text. with your class. Ask them how these are relevant to Norman Rockwell's works. Talk about the techniques he used to tell stories in his paintings: facial expressions, objects, relative placement of figures, and setting. Ask students to think up a short story. Next, have them sketch their story in one picture, using facial expressions and objects. Then have students swap pictures; each student writes the story they "read" in the picture they have been given. How did they know what the story was about? What elements of the picture told them what the story was? Visit The Norman Rockwell Museum The Norman Rockwell Museum is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art. Founded in 1969, the museum is located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where Rockwell lived the last 25 years of his life. at Stockbridge online at www.nrm.org to read more about this American icon. RELATED ARTICLE: A WALK THROUGH THE PAINTING Facial Expressions Look closely at the three faces. What expressions do you see? Notice how Rockwell achieved these expressions: an upturned mouth, a furrowed fur·row n. 1. A long, narrow, shallow trench made in the ground by a plow. 2. A rut, groove, or narrow depression: snow drifting in furrows. 3. brow, squinted eyes. More on the story How do you think the boy feels about losing his marbles to a girl? Why do you think Rockwell chose to paint a girl as the champ? ...A Thousand Words What is the story here? Who is the champion, and who has been beaten? How do you know? Notice the marble sacks: one bulging full, the other empty. That Rockwell Style Rockwell creates almost-photographic images that are so clear, we might forget that they are painted. No visible brush strokes Brush Strokes was an Esmonde and Larbey sitcom set in South London and depicting the (mostly) amorous adventures of a good-looking, wisecracking house painter, Jacko (Karl Howman). get in the way of telling the story. |
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