Monday, February 01, 2010

10. Rockwell by Karal Ann Marling

Less a biography and more a pictorial journey, Rockwell follows America's best-loved artist as he begins his career creating his unmistakeable illustrations.  I bought this book seeral years ago because I am a true Norman Rockwell fan.  His pictures make me laugh, sigh, or even tear up which is probably why they were and are so popular.  Of course, the art critic community panned him for his sentimental art and refused to consider him as a true artiste.  True, his paintings are photographic in nature, but they were amazing in how they could tell a story and for the detail and the feeling he put into each canvas.  I love his pictures.  And this book contains over 100 illustrations of the pictures and the artist.  While I didn't learn a lot about the man himself -- he was married three times, had three sons, and suffered from depression -- I did learn a great deal about his art, the motivation behind much of his work; and how he and his work changed over the years.  A fun and informative read.  Here's a few of my favorites:
Rating:  4
CATCHING UP CHALLENGE

3 comments:

  1. Oh, I wouldn't mind reading this. Thanks for the review!

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  2. I used to shun him, but I've warmed up to him over the years. I love his "Dewey Defeats Truman" picture.

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  3. This looks awesome! I LOVE Rockwell's artwork. Fabulous resource. Thanks for sharing about it!

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