Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell is a favorite artist of mine, and an exhibition of his work is currently on display at the Smithsonian Musuem of American Art (through January 2, 2011).  Rockwell displayed a talent for telling stories through his evocative artwork much the way a filmmaker shares a story through movies; in fact, the fifty-seven paintings and drawings in this exhibition are from the personal collections of filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Telling Stories is the first major exhibition to explore in-depth the connections between Norman Rockwell’s iconic images of American life and the movies. Two of America’s best-known modern filmmakers—George Lucas and Steven Spielberg—recognized a kindred spirit in Rockwell and formed significant collections of his work. Rockwell’s paintings and the films of Lucas and Spielberg evoke love of country, small town values, children growing up, unlikely heroes, acts of imagination and life’s ironies.

Rockwell was a masterful storyteller who could distill a narrative into a single frame. His pictures tell stories about the adventure of growing up, of individuals rising up to face personal challenges, the glamour of Hollywood and the importance of tolerance in American life. He created his pictures with strategies similar to those used by filmmakers.

A sampling of the works on display are below.

The Connoisseur

 

Mermaid (A Fair Catch)

 

Window Washer

Knuckles Down

Shadow Artist

High Dive

Lands of Enchantment

Going Out (Woman at Vanity)

Happy Birthday Miss Jones

Four Sporting Boys - Oh Yeah