Norman Rockwell Biography

In 1903, Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell, along wth young Norman and his older brother Jarvis, moved from the city to Mamaroneck, New York. Even at a young age, Rockwell showed aptitude and interest in art and illustration. One of his earliest recollections was drawing Charles Dickens characters while his father read Dickens to him.

In 1909, at the age of 15, Norman Rockwell left Mamaroneck High School to attend the National Academy of Design in New York City. Shortly thereafter, he entered the Art Students League, attending classes taught by George Bridgeman and Thomas Fogarty. He was such a hard worker, even at age 15, that his fellow students referred to him as "the Deacon."

In 1912, Rockwell's first published works appeared in C.H. Claudy's Tell-Me-Why Stories About Mother Nature and and, later, Gabrielle Jackson's Maid of Middies' Haven.

In 1913, Norman Rockwell received his first major position: art editor of Boys' Life magazine. Boys' Life published several of his earliest illustrations on its cover in 1913. As art editor, he also published many of his own works on the inside pages of Boys' Life to illustrate articles. His work also appeared in other children's publications, such as St. Nicholas.

Boy With Baby Carriage Rockwell's First Post Cover from 1916 Available at Art.com

In 1915, Rockwell moved to New Rochelle, New York, and established his own studio along with studio mate, Clyde Forsythe.

In 1916, one of the major milestones in Rockwell's career occurs: his first Saturday Evening Post cover, Boy with Baby Carriage was published on May 20, 1916. This was the first of 321 different covers over a forty-seven year span with the most prominent publication of its time.

Rockwell's work was later published in several other major publications including Life (1917), The Country Gentleman (1917) and The Literary Digest (1918).

After the beginnings of success embodied by being published by the Post, he asks Irene O'Connor to marry him. At first, she refused, but later she accepted. (In 1921, he painted Irene on a Literary Digest cover, Mother Tucking Children Into Bed (or Mother's Little Angels).

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

Norman Rockwell Biography, page one (1894-1917)...

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

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

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