Featuring the original artwork of Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell Museum houses the most significant public collection of Norman Rockwell’s work in the world. The Museum’s holdings include original artwork, and the artist’s studio and its related collection, including personal memorabilia, supplies, and reference materials.
The Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust
The Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust forms the heart of the Museum’s collections. In 1973, Rockwell bequeathed his personal collection in trust to the Museum so that the works could be exhibited, preserved, and used for the “advancement of art appreciation and art education.” This 367-work collection includes such large-scale oil paintings as Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, Triple Self-Portrait, The Four Freedoms, Girl at Mirror, and The Marriage License, and preliminary sketches and studies in pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and oil.
In 1976, Rockwell added his studio and its contents to the Trust collection. From this later bequest, the Studio Collection and the Norman Rockwell Archives were formed.
Learn moreNorman Rockwell Museum’s growing permanent collection of original illustration is both historical and contemporary, featuring more than 14,000 works by more than 250 artists. Significant collections, featured here, highlight the art of Norman Rockwell’s teachers and artistic inspirations, twentieth century magazine and periodical illustration, and work by contemporary creators.
Many important works have come to us through the generosity of caring donors who have designated the Museum as a home for their treasured collections. We are grateful to our many donors for their ongoing support of the Museum’s collecting mission, which places Norman Rockwell within the context of his vibrant and ever-changing profession, the field of illustration.
Learn MoreThe Norman Rockwell Museum Archives (“the Archive”) are the largest and most comprehensive archival collection relating to the life and art of Norman Rockwell, and a repository for collections relating to the art of illustration, both historical and contemporary. Housed at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA (“the Museum”), the Archive comprises the cornerstone collection of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies (RCAVS). The first of its kind in the nation, this research institute promotes contextual scholarship relating to American illustration, and supports the Museum’s mission to preserve and interpret this important aspect of American visual culture. The Archive preserves and makes accessible collections relating to the life and art of legendary American illustrator, Norman Rockwell, as well as materials bringing to light the work of other noted illustrators, whose contributions reflect the evolution of this vibrant and ever-changing American art form.
Learn MoreRockwell, Roosevelt, & the Four Freedoms explores the indelible odyssey of humanity’s greatest ideals.
Born amid the turmoil of World War II, the Four Freedoms have since become one of its greatest legacies, a testament to the paramount importance of human rights and dignity. Brought forward by one of America’s greatest presidents and immortalized by one of its most beloved artists more than seventy-five years ago, the Four Freedoms continue to inspire, resonating across generations as strongly today as they did in their time.
Rockwell, Roosevelt, and the Four Freedoms is an exhibition organized by Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA.
Learn MoreA project of Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the Illustration History Website is an evolving digital resource designed to create greater access to information about the field in which Norman Rockwell played a seminal role. This first-ever digital connection to an aggregated history of illustration art was made possible in part by a generous grant from The National Endowment for the Arts’ ART WORKS program, and an anonymous donor in honor of illustration historian Walt Reed. We hope the website will be an asset for scholars, educators, students, and the interested public, with accurate materials that are readily available throughout the world. We look forward to sharing the commentary of many authors and scholars through this informational portal, and to facilitating the site's growth through their ongoing participation.
The Illustration History Website is a project of the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, America's first research institute dedicated to the integrative study of illustration art. The Rockwell Center's goal is to enhance and support scholarship relating to this important public art form, exploring the power of public images and their integral role in society, culture, history, and the world of art.
Learn MoreThe Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies brings new scholarly attention and resources to the art of illustration, a profoundly influential aspect of American visual culture. Through online research tools and collections access, scholarship, and spurring the collection and preservation of important artworks, the Rockwell Center establishes a context for understanding the role of illustration art in shaping and reflecting American culture.
The Rockwell Center houses four programs: