Norman Rockwell (1894–1978)
9 Glendale Road/Route 183, Stockbridge, MA 01262
413-298-4100
ABOUT
Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio is the last and only surviving studio among the artist’s approximately 20 workspaces. A refurbished 1830s carriage barn, it is a clean, light space that reflects Rockwell’s work habits, artistic interests, and community involvement. The studio is situated on the campus of Norman Rockwell Museum, having been moved there in 1986 from its original location behind Rockwell’s Stockbridge home. The interior is presently interpreted as it looked in late 1960, when Rockwell was actively painting Golden Rule, his pivotal 1961 Saturday Evening Post cover depicting a shared ethical tenet that binds the world’s peoples. The studio’s proximity to the larger museum allows visitors to make connections between the art and archival materials from the Museum’s holdings and the workspace where Rockwell created his most socially conscious art. Visitors will experience the objects, routines, influences, and atmosphere that informed Rockwell’s artistic process.
SPECIAL RESOURCES
“Some people have been kind enough to call me a fine artist. I’ve always called myself an illustrator. I’m not sure what the difference is. All I know is that whatever type of work I do, I try to give it my very best. Art has been my life.”
— Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell (1894–1978)
Norman Rockwell is widely considered one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. A beloved illustrator whose career began as a teenager and spanned seven decades, Rockwell painted 323 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, alongside hundreds of commissions for other leading publications. Millions of people viewed his work on the covers and pages of popular magazines. His legacy includes his iconic Four Freedoms paintings, inspired by President Roosevelt’s 1941 address to Congress, and his socially charged paintings for Look that chronicle and witness key moments in the 1960s civil rights struggle. Rockwell lived and worked in Stockbridge from 1953 until his death. Nationally famous, he was a visible and active member of the local community. In 1977, he received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His work is collected and exhibited worldwide and continues to inspire new generations of artists and creators.
LEARN MORE
In 1953, at the pinnacle of his prolific career, Norman Rockwell and his second wife, Mary, moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The town became Rockwell’s “adopted hometown” until his death in 1978. After initially working in a rented space above Main Street, in 1957 Rockwell converted a 1830s carriage barn located behind his home into a workspace he called “my best studio yet.” The last of his approximately twenty studios, this renovated and outfitted space was Rockwell’s creative home for 21 years. Here he painted some of his most important and iconic works, including Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations Golden Rule and Triple Self-Portrait, and vivid, socially relevant civil rights illustrations for Look, including The Problem We All Live With, Murder in Mississippi, and New Kids in the Neighborhood.
The building was refurbished by Ejner Handberg, a Danish cabinetmaker who specialized in Shaker reproduction furniture, based upon architect Dean Parmelee’s design with variations. Parmalee had designed Rockwell’s studio in New Rochelle, New York, in the late 1920s. In addition to the original construction on the carriage barn, in 1961 the north windows were enlarged and in 1962 a wing was added for storage. Like many artists, Rockwell favored north-facing windows for natural illumination. The studio also has a loft space for storage of art supplies, models’ clothing, and props.
Rockwell’s studio was a bustling place. Local community members and famous models visited for modeling sessions, friends and neighbors stopped by, and fans and students with sketchbooks might show up to visit the famous artist. Rockwell kept the physical environment of his studio extremely clean and neat, reflecting his meticulous work habits and the demands of his intensive, deadline-driven schedule. The studio held personally and artistically significant objects, such as reproductions of artwork by Bruegel, Vermeer, Michelangelo, and Canaletto; artifacts from his worldwide travels; and his extensive library. Beyond his easel and chair, another key furnishing was Rockwell’s desk, where he corresponded with clients and answered fan mail.
Later in life, Rockwell grew concerned about the fate of his cherished workspace, and in 1976, he entrusted the building and its contents to Norman Rockwell Museum. The building was relocated to its current site on the Museum’s 36-acre campus in 1986, transported in two pieces secured to flatbed trucks. The studio opened to visitors for the first time in 1994, offering a unique glimpse into the beloved twentieth-century illustrator’s working life and methods.
