Norman Rockwell Biography
1938 Through 1953

Norman Rockwell Biography, page three.

In 1938, the Rockwell family traveled to England. During this trip, Rockwell met some famous and talented British illustrators, including Arthur Rackham, George Belcher and Edmund Dulac...
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Norman Rockwell Biography (continued)

1943 was marked by some of Rockwell's greatest and most loved paintings. In 1943, the famous Four Freedoms paintings were conceived and painted. During the height of World War II, Rockwell became inspired by Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech. Taking the four freedoms mentioned in the speech as his cue, Rockwell painted Freedom From Want, Freedom to Worship, Freedom From Fear and Freedom of Speech. The paintings and accompanying articles from some of the best writers of the time were published in consecutive issues of The Saturday Evening Post. The first article and illustration were published on February 20, 1943.

Later that year, a fire burned his studio to the ground. Rockwell lost his extensive costumes and props collection. In addition, an unknown number of paintings were lost to the fire.

In 1946, Arthur L. Guptill's landmark book, Norman Rockwell: Illustrator, was published.

In 1949, Rockwell started a new calendar series for calendar publisher, Brown & Bigelow. The Four Seasons calendars were published for seventeen straight years.

1953 saw the Rockwell family moving to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Stockbridge would become Rockwell's permanent home. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass would also become the permanent home for many of Norman Rockwell's original paintings, his personal belongings and his art collection.

A life as big and full as Rockwell's can't be told on only one page.

Norman Rockwell Biography, page two (1918-1936)...

Norman Rockwell Biography,page three (1938-1953)...

Norman Rockwell Biography,page four (1953-1978)...