Product Description

Norman Rockwell's son, Tom, has put together the absolute finest collection of his father's bounteous body of work, illustrations that bespeak the golden glow of pre- and post-WWII Americana. Rockwell senior, who said he depicted life "as I would like it to be," chronicled iconic visions of American life: the Thanksgiving turkey, soda fountains, ice skating on the pond, and small-town boys playing baseball-not to mention the beginning of the civil rights movement. Now, the best-selling collection of Rockwell's most beloved illustrations, organized by decade, is available in a refreshed edition. With more than 150 images-oil paintings, watercolors, and rare black-and-white sketches-this is an uncommonly faithful Rockwell treasury. The original edition has sold nearly 200,000 copies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #295489 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Amazon.com Review
Norman Rockwell was nearly as prolific an artist as he was gifted. In addition to his many paintings, he created over 500 magazine covers and thousands of commercial illustrations. In this volume, one of Rockwell's sons has carefully reviewed his father's vast collection of work and chosen his favorite representations from each decade. Many of the pieces come from the family's private collection and are published here for the first time; however, some perennial favorites, such as Triple Self Portrait, After the Prom, and Girl at the Mirror, are also included. Many of the images have been reproduced directly from the originals so details such as brushstrokes and the texture of the canvas are visible. The Best of Norman Rockwell will please readers any time of year, but there are quite a few Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures that make this a great book to have around during the holidays.

From Library Journal
Another in a long line of books of Rockwell illustrations, this is distinguished only by the fact that Rockwell's son Thomas chose the illustrations and wrote a brief preface. The result is the usual selection of popular images, plus some rarely seen sketches and paintings. The 32-page section of preliminary drawings adds substance, but the minimal text throughout is disappointing. The preface is all too brief, and each illustration receives only the barest identification. Libraries that have any of several more substantial books, such as Christopher Finch's Norman Rockwell's America (Abrams, 1985), can pass this by.
- Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Inc., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

How Times Have Changed...
For many years the art world shunned the 'illustrations' of artist Norman Rockwell, suggesting that his work was commercial and created for the sole purpose of public consumption. But the tables have turned. Rockwell's prodigious output (primarily for the covers of now defunct Saturday Evening Post Magazine) chronicled a time in America in the pre and post World War II tenor and captured the spirit of the country's citizens in humor, nostalgia, celebration and insight in a manner that in many ways held the country together.

Rockwell's many paintings are generously sampled in Rockwell's son's fine book, sharing over 150 works by one of the finest draughtsman and commentators before the public. Now museums clamor for his works and touring shows reveal that Norman Rockwell was indeed a truly fine craftsman and poet. His paintings show life as we would have our memories believe it could be, was, or remembered. Many of the included works are now American icons, but it is the sharing of the less well-known works that makes this volume special.

This is a fine monograph of an under appreciated artist whose time has come. It is a joy to read and share, and mixed with the nostalgia is the reassuring knowledge that times CAN change - a message we all need at present. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

The Best of Norman Rockwell. A Celebration of 100 Years
I had hankered after a good book on Norman Rockwell for years. I think out of all the books available on the artist Norman Rockwell this has to be one of the very best. While other books have gone for quantity rather than quality, using plenty of black and white pictures to fill them out, this one has quality and colour with many of MY favourite pictures whilst also showing plenty of black and white preliminary sketches. It is wonderful. And the speedy delivery from Amazon has fulfilled a big gap in my "library".

printing
I recently received a copy of this book and found the quality of the prints very poor indeed. Printed in China, they are grainy, at times out of focus and with limited colors on some at least. A few plates are convincing but not many. This a book reminiscent of the art books printed in the sixties and seventies with analogue printing technology. Given the quantum leaps in digital printing techniques during the last ten years, this is just unforgivable. Disappointed that Tom Rockwell let this pass as a book on his father's wonderful work.