When I was in college, many years ago now, the work of Norman Rockwell was sneered at by those in the Fine Art Department…”Old-fashioned, sentimental, trite, work of no consequence,” they would say.
The harassment sort of muzzled us on the commercial art side, so we found new heroes of illustration…Bob Peak, Mark English, and Bernie Fuchs, among others. They were flashy and very contemporary, doing very exciting work.
But Norman Rockwell is just one of those guys that doesn’t go away. The images remain impressed on our minds, iconic images that just won’t leave. While so many great illustrators have come and gone, the work of Norman Rockwell remains…his paintings popular once again, garnering higher prices than ever at auction.
Rockwell comes to mind because when my wife and I were reflecting on trips we’ve taken to New England. “What was the name of the place we stayed in Maine…not Camden, the other place?” “Bar Harbor?” I asked. “Yes, that’s it!” About that time we both began laughing as we remembered our stay in a bed and breakfast there. Having arrived after a long day of driving, we were tired and were looking forward to relaxing with a hot cup of tea. That was not to be as the strict “headmaster” (owner of the B&B) stopped us in our tracks, and with his “long pointy finger” directed us to first read the long list of house rules posted on the wall. Only then were we allowed to proceed into the living area. Are you getting the picture?
The house had a wonderful selection of books in their library. Having found one of interest, I brought it with me to the breakfast table the next morning to enjoy while waiting on our meal. The “headmaster” approached our table, reached down, closed the book, and took it from under my nose while saying, “I’ll take that.”….and then he put me over his knee and….
Ahh, don’t you love Rockwell? He was able to touch our very souls. He made us laugh, nod our heads in agreement, point fingers at others, and reflect on our own insecurities. Art has a wonderful way of communicating that all others forms of expression cannot. Thank you Norman Rockwell.
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John Pototschnik is an Art Renewal Center Living Master. To view his art and bio, please click HERE
