The works in this exhibit, many from the private and personally significant collection retained by Rockwell and his family, offers a unique glimpse into the life of the man behind the art. This exhibit, mounted in three galleries of the museum, will run through October 26, 1997.
Ties provides a glimpse into the private side of one of America's best-known artists.
It highlights artwork by Norman Rockwell that reflects his personal life including final magazine covers featuring Rockwell family members as models, illustrated postcards, letters, and personal portraits and illustrations which the Rockwells chose to hang on the walls of their home. Of special note are Rockwell's pen and ink drawings, on loan from a private collector, for the chapter headings from Rockwell's autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator , published in 1960. Norman Rockwell, Across Kensington Gardens During a career that spanned seven decades, Norman Rockwell was extremely prolific, creating over 2600 published illustrations and the many color and charcoal studies used to develop these final images. In Rockwell's later years, he did some painting and sketching that was not on commission. Many of these landscapes and portraits were done on his extensive travels through the United States and internationally and are included in this exhibition.