Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. He is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for Saturday Evening Post magazine for over nearly five decades.
He found success early when he painted his first commission before age 16 of four Christmas cards. While in his teens, he was hired as art director of Boy’s Life, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1916, when he was 22, he painted his first cover for the Post and over the next 47 years, another 321 covers by him would appear on the front of the magazine.
Rockwell was inspired by President Roosevelt during WWII; he created his Four Freedoms series, which took seven months to complete. They include Freedom from Want, Freedom of Worship, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom from Fear. These iconic paintings toured the US in 1943, generating more than $130 million for War Bonds.
A classic American scene that we all probably recognize is Freedom from Want. It is the scene at a Thanksgiving table, complete with turkey on a platter. In 1942, Rockwell used his own Vermont dining room as backdrop for this painting. He enlisted family members and neighbors as models, including his cook, Mrs. Thaddeus Wheaton, who is serving the turkey. Rockwell was concerned that the size of the bird suggested an “abundance” not experienced by everyone throughout the country during WWII. Even so, the painting enjoyed huge popularity that still endures to this day.
The work also showcases Rockwell’s artistic talents. One critic described the table setting as “one of the most ambitious plays of white-against-white since Whistler.” Regarding the turkey, Rockwell later said, “Our cook cooked it, I painted it, and we ate it. That was one of the few times I’ve ever eaten the model.”
*Note: Hundreds of variations of this image have been created, including ones for the Saturday Evening Post, featuring The Muppets and The Waltons.