As I took off in my car to explore America a short time ago, I noticed on the map the town of Hannibal, Missouri -- home of the legendary Mark Twain.
I had always admired the great American writer and so the car turned and headed south. I explored the home of Twain and ended up at a local museum. As I explored each exhibit I was thrilled to find a collection of the artwork and illustrations of another wonderful artist that I had always admired: Norman Rockwell.
I stood for a long time admiring what Rockwell had on display. It was a magical moment of reflection on our nation and on the artist who would never paint pictures of people with evil ideas. There in front of me were many of the great art illustrations from the man who loved to paint the humorous depictions of American life. The things that he saw in America and its people came to life in 321 front-page covers for the nation's famous Saturday Evening Post for which he worked for 47 years.
He illustrated calendars for the Boy Scouts of America his whole life and did work with Look Magazine with his famous 1969 cover of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon, Ladies Home Journal, Family Circle, Literary Digest and even Popular Mechanics. The subject he painted best was about hope for people and he did it the way he wanted to see it. Some of my favorites were his famous depictions of Christmas and Santa. He started that journey when only 16 years of age; he painted four Christmas cards for a neighbor and his legend began.
You can imagine how excited I was to see that the Brigham Young University Museum of Art brought this great exhibit to Provo for all to enjoy. Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894 in Brooklyn, New York, and passed away in November 1978 at the age of 84. Rockwell painted more than 4,000 images in his lifetime. Even though he was an illustrator, he was often referred to as America’s Charles Dickens.
He took President Theodore Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms and painted what he felt was a picture of each one. They were Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Fear, Freedom of Religion, and Freedom from Want. My grandfather was born in 1900 and was a blacksmith. I loved Rockwell’s painting of the blacksmith contest. There was magic in his portraits of Santa. Each one that I viewed reminded me of someone in my own life and the thought was most often accompanied by a smile or sometimes a tear. I remember the day he passed away -- I was 31 years old when my boyhood hero died. I felt as though I had lost a great friend even though we had never met. Our nation was so fortunate to have had such a great talent spread his ideas of rallying around the flag and lifting and building those around us.
When Rockwell was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Gerald Ford stated, “Norman Rockwell has portrayed the American scene with unrivaled freshness and clarity. Insight, optimism and good humor are the hallmarks of his artistic style. His vivid and affectionate portraits of our country and ourselves have become a beloved part of the American tradition.”
I remember a day in 2006 when one of the artist’s most famous and loved paintings, "Breaking Home Ties," was found hidden behind a fake wall. For more than 30 years, unknown even to his own children, the owner had displayed a copy of the painting. The following year it was sold for a record $15,400,000.
Rockwell once said, “The '20s ended in an era of extravagance, sort of like the one we’re in now. There was a big crash, but then the country picked itself up again, and we had some great years. Those were the days when America believed in itself. I was happy and proud to be painting it.
Brigham Young University's Museum of Art provides many cultural opportunities to our community. Our families are offered some of the great art of the world and exhibits that can teach our children of the wonderful impact that art can have in our lives. Thanks to museum director Mark Magleby and Brigham Young University for continuing to offer such great events.
Resource: http://www.heraldextra.com
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