Ive bought a few Rockwell books recently and must say this has the best color reproduction of any I have recieved so far. I must add that different shades of printing reveal different details of the pictures but this one contains my favorite balance. It also includes many works we may not have seen due to the family ties of the author. I only wish it was a bigger collection. Fantastic.I will have to visit the Rockwell museum in Stockbridge sometime.

I've enjoyed the artistry of Norman Rockwell since I was a kid and he remains my favorite artist of all time. As a Christmas present, I was given THE BEST OF NORMAN ROCKWELL. The book is a collection of 100 different paintings and about 50 different sketches and studies selected by one of Rockwell's children, Thomas. Some of these sketches are from the Rockwell family's personal collection and have never been seen by the public before the publication of this book. The first section of the book contains the sketches. The rest of the book is divided into five sections delineating paintings by the decades they were published: 1910-1920, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and the 1950s and 1960s are together. Some favorite public paintings such as "Triple Self Portrait", "Freedom of Speech", "Freedom of Worship", "Saying Grace", and "The Problem We All Live With" are found here, but there are also many illustrations in the book that I have never seen before.

This book makes a great gift for any person who admires the art of Norman Rockwell. Also, since the book is mostly pictures, it also is a great tool to use to introduce children to visual arts and try to teach them an appreciation for the field. Finally, reading the book cover I learned something I never knew before: Thomas Rockwell, the "editor" of the book and Norman's son, is a young adult author most well known for writing the book HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS.

Norma Rockwell es uno de los grandes desconocidos artistas fuera de Estados Unidos. Sus cientos de ilustraciones para publicaciones norteamericanas son también un retrato de la vida cotidiana de aquel entonces, pero con un toque artístico muy personal. A través de este libro podemos disfrutar de una recopilación de algunos de sus trabajos más conocidos. Una obra imprescindible.

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.

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