Most Popular Art and Cover Galleries of 2016

1. Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms

Inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous “Four Freedoms” speech delivered to Congress on the eve of World War II, Norman Rockwell created four paintings depicting simple family scenes, illustrating freedoms Americans often take for granted.

2. Classic Covers: Thanksgiving 

Norman Rockwell and his mentor, J. C. Leyendecker, not only created more Post covers than any other artists, but also helped shape the way Americans think about Thanksgiving.

3. Rockwell—1940s

This gallery displays all of Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers from the 1940s, one of his most prolific—and most loved—periods. It is, of course, replete with illustrations from World War II, including this iconic picture of Rosie the Riveter.

4. Rockwell Paints Rockwell

How often did Norman Rockwell show up in his own art? You’d be surprised!

5. Rockwell—1930s

Norman Rockwell’s Post covers from the ‘30s feature a wide array of characters—from children to movie stars, from the worldly to the working-class. Throughout this decade, he painted 69 covers for the magazine.

6. Rockwell—1950s

Rockwell painted some of his best known covers in the 1950s, including “Before the Shot,” (above), “Shiner,” and “Runaway.”

7. J. C. Leyendecker Gallery

J. C. Leyendecker was one of the most popular and prolific cover artists for the Post. Norman Rockwell at one time considered Leyendecker his primary mentor, as he heavily influenced Rockwell’s early style and was a true master illustrator of the 20th century.

8. Rockwell—1960s

This was the last decade that Rockwell painted covers for the Post, including a number of elegant portraits of Kennedy, Nixon, and Nehru.

9. Rockwell’s School Teachers

“Happy Birthday, Miss Jones” is a Rockwell classic, but it wasn’t without reader complaints. Diana Denny reviews the many portraits of teachers that Rockwell painted.

10. John Falter Gallery

John Falter created 129 Post covers over the course of his career. Much like Norman Rockwell, his works are simple observations of everyday American life.