American Chronicles: the art of Norman Rockwell.

• Position: Museums Today

HE CALLED HIMSELF a reporter on present events and of contemporary America. The media gave him various labels: "the people's painter," "the Dickens of the paintbrush," and "a contemporary Currier & Ives." Norman Rockwell's hopeful and admiring attitude about humanity was the hallmark of his work. Above all, he loved to paint pictures that conveyed stories about people, their attitude toward each other, and his feelings about them. In 1943, a Time reporter noted, "He constantly achieves that compromise between a love of realism and the tendency to idealize, which is one of the most deeply ingrained characteristics of the American people."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The more famous he became, the more confident were his self-effacing responses to that fame. For instance, in a 1952 interview with Newsweek, Rockwell was asked how much he was paid for a Saturday, Evening Post cover. He replied, "Twice as much as it's worth." In 1977, Rockwell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for having portrayed "the American scene with unrivaled freshness and clarity," and with "insight, optimism, and good humor."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The paintings of this exhibition, many from the artist's personal collection, chronicle Rockwell's life and art. They span 56 years, from his 1914 interpretation of American folk hero Daniel Boone securing safe passage for settlers to the American West, to his 1970 report on U.S. tourists and armed Israeli soldiers witnessing a Christmas Eve ceremony at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Viewers are invited to compare their own 20th-century experience with the events portrayed by Rockwell and to consider how much his vision may have influenced theirs.

"Forty years ago, public demand and affection for [his] art compelled the creation of our museum," says Laurie Norton Moffatt, director and CEO of the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Mass. "Now, 40 years later, unabated public enthusiasm inspires us to share our collection and Rockwell's legacy with the nation's art museums. We embrace our role as stewards of a national treasure...."

"American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell" showcases the illustrator's unforgettable panorama of our country, from scenes of childhood innocence--and gentle depictions of innocence lost--to the...