Take a trip on a tank with Norman Rockwell

Oct. 1, 2012


Norman Rockwell's Stockbridge studio (interior). Photo by Jeremy Clowe. ©Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

By Katelyn Gendron

katelyn@thereminder.com

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — There's nothing flashy about where Norman Rockwell spent his final days creating iconic images, rather, his final studio is a reflection of what he famously illustrated: quaint, small town American life.

The building, which is open annually from May to October, is just one of the many intriguing facets of the Norman Rockwell Museum's grounds in Stockbridge, the town he called home until his death from emphysema in 1978.

Adjacent to his studio, which was transported to the grounds from his home on South Street in 1986, is the exhibition building and visitors center, which houses the largest collection of original Rockwell art in the world, along with more than 100,000 photographs and artifacts documenting his life.

Whether you're a Rockwell fan or not — he's most famous for his 47-year tenure with The Saturday Evening Post and his 10-years with Look Magazine (1963-1973) — it's difficult not to appreciate the majestic setting where he created so many portraits of American life.

"Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed," he once said.

Entering the exhibition you'll encounter a timeline of his career through some of his most noteworthy works, including "The Four Freedoms," "Girl Reading Post in 1941," "Christmas Trio 1923" and "Triple Self-Portrait 1960."

"The Four Freedoms" is a serious of four images based upon President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1942 speech calling for all people to be entitled to freedom from fear and want, and freedom of speech and worship.

"The Girl Reading Post in 1941" is one of Rockwell's iconic Saturday Evening Post covers, which illustrates a schoolgirl sitting on a bench reading the magazine, her face and shoulders morphed into the model's cover photo.

"Triple Self-Portrait 1960" shows the artist looking at himself in a mirror while sketching his likeness on canvas, complete with the trademark pipe in his mouth. The portrait has been described as "lighthearted and self-deprecating."

Rockwell's studio, as it exists today, is a reflection of the aforementioned portrait as his pipe sits on a table to the right of his easel waiting to be smoked and paint is on the palette eager for use. In fact, museum organizers have actually set the area to appear as Rockwell was painting "Golden Rule," a Saturday Evening Post cover that called attention to the rule requiring people to treat others as they deserved to be treated.

The studio also houses various artifacts of Rockwell's inspiration from books of artists he admired to artifacts and statuettes he collected and even his comfy green couch where he often napped.

For those who don't make it to the studio between May and October, you can view a 360-degree view on the museum's website, www.nrm.org. A list of current and upcoming exhibitions, which includes "Norman Rockwell: Home for the Holidays" from Nov. 16, 2012 to Jan. 21, 2013, is also available.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Museum admission is $16 for adults, $14.50 for seniors age 60 and older. $10 for students with identification and $5 for children ages 6 to 18. Tickets also include gallery orientation talks at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m.

Tickets may also be grouped for a discounted rate with other Berkshires attractions including Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Tanglewood, Hancock Shaker Village, The Mount: Edith Wharton's Home or Chesterwood. For more information, visit berkshires.org.

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