Valley Ridge Academy PTO

Many artists paint pictures of themselves, known as self-portraits. When Rockwell painted this self-portrait, he included images of some of his favorite artists and shared details about his life.

Look closely at the painting. Can you find these items?

• The “antique” that fooled Rockwell: The gold helmet atop the easel: Rockwell thought it was an antique army helmet but later discovered it was just a fireman’s hat!

• The soft drink he often enjoyed as he worked: Norman Rockwell’s daily cola drink is precariously perched on his art book.

• A reference to the accidental burning of his studio: The smoke rising from the trash can is a reference to the accidental burning of Rockwell’s studio in 1943.

• A tribute to the great artists he admired: The pictures pinned to Rockwell’s canvas are self-portraits by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh.

Fun Facts:

• Did you know Rockwell left actual globs of paint on his canvas?
• Rockwell claimed that the turkey featured in Freedom from Want was, in fact, the Rockwell family’s Thanksgiving turkey. He later confessed, “This was one of the few times I’ve ever eaten the model.”

Now let's create our own Norman Rockwell style portrait!