My Adventures as an Illustrator: The Definitive Edition

by Norman Rockwell, Abigail Rockwell (Editor), Tom Rockwell (Narrator)

The life of America’s most beloved artist, in his own words―back in print with restored text and drawings, new illustrations, and more. The wit, humanity, and many-sided talent of Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) are on full display in his classic autobiography. Rockwell’s New York City boyhood, his apprentice days at the Art Students League, his first fateful visit to the Saturday Evening Post , his adventures abroad, his move to rural Vermont―all are recounted with a mix of sharp observation and self-deprecating humor. Throughout Rockwell invites the reader into his artistic he introduces his favorite models, candidly reveals his biggest flops, and documents the creation of a Post cover step by step.
 
This Definitive Edition restores the original 1960 text of My Adventures as an Illustrator , as well as the playful vignettes that Rockwell drew to head each chapter. Thanks to a massive image digitization effort undertaken by the Norman Rockwell Museum, it is also illustrated with more than 150 of Rockwell’s paintings and drawings, many of which highlight lesser-known aspects of his work. A new introduction by the artist’s granddaughter Abigail Rockwell adds reference value, as do an illustrated chronology and an annotated bibliography prepared by the staff of the Norman Rockwell Museum.
 
This attractive volume will be the essential source on the life of Norman Rockwell, and delightful reading for anyone who enjoys his art. Plus, its publication coincides with a major new exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum concerning the autobiographical elements in the artist’s work ( Norman Private Moments for the Masses , June 8 through October 27, 2019).

Genres: Art, Memoir, Biography

536 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2019

About the author

Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter (although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day), Saying Grace (1951), and the Four Freedoms series.

Reviews

[Heddy Panik · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad this book was published!!! It is so much better than the other books written about Norman Rockwell. I will definitely add this to my personal library and enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoy his paintings.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very through and I liked how it was written! Reminded me of Grandpa Mike’s. Really no focus at all on his personal life and had lots of funny stories

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of my favorite illustrators, this book was amazing. I would love to have it in my personal library. Rockwell's talent and life are intertwined...the time period he lived in, the way of life, that has changed so much, gave him his inspiration and are never to be repeated. Although this is a good-sized tome, it is worth the read and adding to my own collection. I savored each new bit of information, therefore, it took me months to read. I have given 5 stars because I enjoyed reading this story, and think it is worth sharing with others.

[EL Core · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and reviewed the second edition of this book in 2017. I will append that review after a few remarks on this edition.

This edition is a much more attractive book: the typeface is different, and the font size and leading are noticeably larger, so the text is easier to read and seems more dignified. The illustrations have been re-selected, and many of them are paintings or drawings that I don't remember having seen before; also, some of the illustrations presented in black-and-white in the second edition are in full-color in this third ("definitive") edition. This edition includes a Foreword by Steven Heller, which adds nothing of value to the book that I can determine, and a valuable Introduction by Norman's granddaughter Abigail, the editor of this edition. Brief passages had been omitted or altered for the second edition: Abigail has restored the original text for this edition, and she also restored the small drawings that Norman had made to begin each chapter, which had also been omitted in the second edition. Tom Rockwell's Foreword for that edition has been dropped, but his Afterword retained. A chronology and select bibliography have been added.

Here follows my review of the second edition.

This is an enjoyable read, not just for Rockwell fans, but for any fans of biography or autobiography. Rockwell reveals himself as a humble man without pretensions in down-to-earth anecdotes and straight-forward narrative. The most surprising aspect is a good-natured sense of humor that shows forth on every page. (Well, it surprised me.) Rockwell told these stories of his life to his son Thomas, who then wrote the text from his notes, his father making corrections and additions afterwards.

This edition is illustrated on heavy paper, and the color reproduction seems to be very good. (The original 1960 edition was not illustrated.)

One chapter deserves a special mention for Rockwell fans: Chapter 19 ("I paint another Post cover") is a diary-like description of Rockwell's process of producing a painting, from original conception to finished work. The painting is "Family Tree", published on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, October 24, 1959.

This edition concludes with an afterword by Thomas, a brief sketch of his father's life and work after 1960.

[Peter Mayeux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books about Norman Rockwell and his illustrations. This latest book is an excellent compilation of memories and illustrations from Rockwell's long creative career.

Rockwell's son and his granddaughter wrote the book based on Rockwell's Dictaphone commentary and recollections. The story is told chronologically with appropriate illustrations to mark the way on this biographical journey. Interesting situations and people provide meaningful insights into the world of illustrations and publishing during several early decades of the 20th century. There are several places in the book in which Rockwell traces his creative process; his illustrations are used to clarify the progress of his work. It is written as though Rockwell was sitting with the reader, recounting informally his professional and personal challenges and achievements over decades as an influential illustrator for Saturday Evening Post, Look, and other periodicals as well as classic books. Rockwell is an excellent storyteller on canvas and in his remembrances.

This book is a high-quality production with extra-thick paper stock and easy-to-read text. It offers a bibliography and an illustrated detailed chronology of Norman Rockwell's life and achievements.

This book would interest Norman Rockwell fans but also those interested in the creative life of an artist, the influences of editors and publishers in the creative process, and the evolution of a very specific part of America's artist development.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Norman Rockwell was and remains an iconic American artist; he would have insisted that I say "illustrator" but I'm too young to have seen his work on a regular basis as covers for the Post magazine, his longest-running exhibitor, so his paintings are marvelous works of art for me.

He was witty and ambitious as well as extraordinarily hard-working. He made his own talent, but was forever unsure of his ultimate artistic worth and struggled with depression and anxiety. This came as a saddening surprise to me, as I knew nothing about his personal life and like many another fan of his artworks trusted that his homey, humorous depictions were drawn from his own experiences.

This autobiography is loaded with beautiful reproductions of many of his sketches and paintings, highlights from his entire 60-year career. It ends in 1960 when Rockwell was 66, and the afterword, written by his co-author son, Tom, carries the brief remaining narrative forward to Rockwell's death at age 84.

[Rachel Dows · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story? Wonderful, well told. The pictures? Quality, well selected. Overall, this book is intimidating at first but flies once you start to dig into it. I would recommend it to anyone interested in art, Rockwell, memoirs, or anything in between. I found myself wishing for a bygone era where perhaps I, too, could have gone to art school and been an illustrator, but would still probably fall short of Rockwell, who truly didn’t believe he would become a household name.

[Jason Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is less an autobiography and more just anecdotes from his life arranged in (roughly) chronological order, but I thought it was a great read. Aside from all the great stories of people he met and places he went, it's wild to hear such an accomplished painter as Rockwell repeatedly question his own value. This book definitely isn't for everyone, but I'm squarely in its target audience, so I loved it.

[Mark Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent autobiography by Norman Rockwell. His art is amazing and his life is fascinating. I loved most of the book but found the last chapter with the diary entries not all that riveting. If you want to know about Norman Rockwell then read this book. Every painting he did was from models first posing and later he took photos since it was easier than making people pose for a long time.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved Norman Rockwell paintings/illustrations. I really enjoyed reading about his extraordinary life and travels.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book added to my appreciation of an already favorite artist. This edition was especially good because there were drawings and paintings embedded throughout.