I just read the nice article in the October 13 issue of Smithsonian magazine. It portrays Rockwell as a person who was modest as you'd expect but also one who suffered from anxiety and does not appear to have been very happy. Married three times, divorced, widowed once each. Three children he was not particularly close to, apparently.

I have always been a big fan of his slightly whimsical realistic style. One of his most famous pictures, the one of the little Black girl going to school really touches.

He actually resigned from painting for the post because they wanted to direct his art. I was a little surprised by this but his work definitely has messages in it which are the normal fare of an artist and it is natural he would have integrity and want to control his messages.

He did a lot of famous portraits including one each of Kennedy and Nixon when they were running against each other. He worked on them side by side and according to his son took meticulous care to portray them both without any distortion, though his son said he remarked of Nixon "The trouble with Nixon is if you make him look too nice he no longer looks like Nixon".

I might have to look for a signed print of his work to hang. I don't think I can afford any original of his no matter how small.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.