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Norman Rockwell created art in some 20 studios during his life, but it was the last one—seen here—that he called his “best studio yet.” The building was originally located in the backyard of his home on South Street in Stockbridge, MA. In 1976, toward the end of his life, Rockwell left the studio and its contents to Norman Rockwell Museum. The building was cut in two and moved to the Museum’s grounds in 1986.
For many years, the museum presented the studio as it was when Rockwell died. Now, they’ve turned back the clock to October 1960, an active time in Rockwell’s career when he was hard at work on Golden Rule, the famous painting which would later appear on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.
Working from a set of highly detailed photos, the curators of the installation at the Norman Rockwell Museum, called A Day in the Life, applied the same attention to detail to their task that Rockwell did to his. From the books on his shelves to the radio in the corner and even the scribbled notes tacked to his wall, they’ve returned every aspect of the room to the way it was at that moment in time, in the hope that the details will provide some greater insight into the artist and his work.
A Visual Tour of Norman Rockwell’s Studio at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Norman Rockwell’s Studio at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickProminently on display is one of Rockwell’s most famous paintings, Golden Rule. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickArtwork on display in Norman Rockwell’s studio. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickThe studio enjoyed lots of natural sunlight. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickA special peek into Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge studio. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickPaints and brushes in Norman Rockwell’s studio. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickRockwell used photographs of human models (many Stockbridge residents) while painting. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickTools of the trade in Norman Rockwell’s studio. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickPhotographs of the artist at work, and the movement of the studio to the museum site. Photo Credit : Lori PedrickYou can’t help but feel that Rockwell himself would have approved of the studio’s new home…and views. Photo Credit : Lori Pedrick
Have you ever visited Norman Rockwell’s Studio at the Norman Rockwell Museum?
Norman Rockwell Museum. 9 Route 183, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. 413-298-4100; nrm.org
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
Lori Pedrick
Lori Pedrick is the art director for Yankee Magazine, and oversees all visual aspects and elements of the editorial pages in the magazine, including photography, illustration, and art production. Before joining Yankee, she was art director for MetroCorp Publishing, publisher of Philadelphia Magazine, Boston Magazine, and other niche publications, where she was responsible for developing and directing design, photography, and visual content. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Moore College of Art & Design, where she studied illustration, graphic design, and photography.
