using private character editor and paint

The first published painting in Rockwell’s Willie Gillis series, this lighthearted portrayal of hungry servicemen marching in step was clearly appreciated by Post readers, who inquired after Willie’s welfare and scrutinized the cover closely enough to observe that Rockwell had not actually placed sufficient postage on the package for sending. The name Willis Gillis was coined by Rockwell’s wife, Mary Barstow Rockwell, an avid reader who drew inspiration from the story of Wee Gillis, a 1938 book about an orphan boy by Munro Leaf. Then fifteen years of age, Buck was exempt from the draft, but anxious to enlist, he eventually began his service in 1943 as a naval aviator in the South Seas. Rockwell met his Willie Gillis model, Robert Otis “Bob” Buck, at an Arlington, Vermont square dance. For Rockwell, an unassuming fictional private named Willie Gillis told the story of one man’s army in a series of eleven published (and one unpublished) Saturday Evening Post covers, in which he was depicted doing everything from proudly receiving a care package from home to peeling potatoes and reading the hometown news. With a wink and a nod, Norman Rockwell proved he was the right man in the right place at the right time.ĭistant from the activities of the war raging in Europe, Norman Rockwell was challenged to record his interpretation of the effects of World War II on servicemen, and on Americans at home. 81 of the 83 Post covers painted by Rockwell during the span of the Great Depression were filled with overt messages of optimism, hope, and humor. Cognizant of the barrage of gloomy headlines from newspapers and radio, he chose to aid millions of Americans in a way no one else could. No Swimming (in the adjacent gallery) depicts a prim young lady averting her eyes from a pond filled with disrobed young men.Ĭherished for his ability to touch the hearts of people of all ages, Rockwell allowed Americans to smile during difficult times. The knowing glances cast in the Just Married drawing in this gallery leaves little to the imagination.

Before the Shot depicts a young patient scrutinizing his doctor’s medical license prior to receiving an injection.

From 1916 to 1963, given the latitude to devise his own scenarios for the covers, Rockwell often chose to spotlight amusing situations.

Perhaps the works most reflective of this quality are found in Rockwell’s covers for The Saturday Evening Post.

Using private character editor and paint