I've always been drawn to Rockwell's paintings, and I've decided that he is my favorite American artist. This probably isn't surprising considering my love for the time period he usually sets his paintings in. I am by no means a Rockwell expert, but his paintings always explicitly show some type of emotion - whether it be humor, pride, thankfulness, joy, or surprise.
They also reveal the average, normal American. I think I like that most of all.
Do you have a favorite American artist?
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I had a Normal Rockwell calendar last year, but none this year. I miss it. I love his use of colors and how he captures the impishness of people. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteI like that picture a lot too. That little girl reminds me of one of my kids. =]
ReplyDeleteRockwell takes a lot of stick off some critics as being cartoonish. I actually love his work as it's a chronical (a visual social diary of sorts) of American home life through (or thru for my American cousins)the depression and wartime years. Love it!! I also really enjoy the impressionistic work of Hopper, again a visual observer of pre-depression era and depression era America. When I look at the paintings, I'm sitting in there with the characters or walking along the roads or up to the lighthouses...
ReplyDeleteYes, I love Edward Hopper! I love the 40's, also, and that he set so many things in cities.
ReplyDeleteDid you know Rockwell worked primarily from photographs? There's a fabulous article about him at NPR right now about a book on him that just came out.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114285155
Mary Cassatt is one of my absolute favorites. Her depictions of mothers and children are so lovely. But I sure do like Norman Rockwell, too. I feel like I grew up on his paintings.
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