Norman Rockwell: Presidential Elections Illustrated

"I am no politician and certainly no statesman. But I have painted thousands of people and I should by now be a judge of what their faces say about what they are."—Norman Rockwell

Throughout his career, Norman Rockwell produced numerous illustrations related to the American presidential election. Beginning with the 1952 presidential campaign, and through 1960, Rockwell generated straightforward portraits of the major candidates for use on the covers of "The Saturday Evening Post." Rockwell also completed numerous illustrations for publication in periodicals and advertising campaigns depicting the engagement of Americans in the election process.

Shortly after Dwight D. Eisenhower received the GOP nomination, "The Saturday Evening Post" flew Rockwell from Vermont to Denver with less than a day's notice to capture the General's portrait. The end result was a cover and a three-page article illustrated and written by Rockwell about his meeting with Eisenhower, which essentially served as a personal endorsement of the future president; he even referred to himself in the last sentence as an "Eisenhower worshipper." Ben Hibbs, then editor of the "Post," wrote to Rockwell saying "If Ike is elected, as I think he will be, no small share of the credit should go to Norman Rockwell."

Norman Rockwell was flattered by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company's invitation to sign and write the text of one of his advertisements for them, encouraging Americans to vote for a new president. In a letter to their advertising manager he noted "That picture of me in the voting booth is exactly the way I feel. I'm one of those guys who can't make up their mind. But I do vote."

Norman Rockwell first painted President John F. Kennedy's portrait for the cover of "The Saturday Evening Post" in 1960 (it was later republished following the President's death). Rockwell later recollected that "he was very handsome and easy to do, full of youth and vigor."

In 1964, after his association with the
"Post" had ended, Rockwell continued his portraiture of the candidates, this time for "Look" magazine. The paintings were reproduced inside the publication, accompanied by non-partisan articles about each contender.

Barry Goldwater's portrait session with Norman Rockwell was held on the 15th floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, near Cow Palace, where the Republican National Convention had just concluded. When Rockwell and his photographer arrived, the lobby was swarming with people, and the elevators had been closed off, so they had no choice but to walk the 15 flights of stairs up to the Senator's suite. He enjoyed working on the Goldwater portrait, remarking that he was "kind of handsome with a good chin."

Regarding the portrait session for his first image of President Johnson, Rockwell recalled, "That morning, I couldn't have done him the way he looked. He was furious about something and he was rushed and only gave me 20 minutes." He only convinced Johnson to smile for him by informing him that his portrait would be juxtaposed next to his opponent Barry Goldwater's in "Look" magazine. Rockwell was still dissatisfied with the end result, saying that Johnson "put on a little kind of a half-smile; it wasn't very good."

"Look" commissioned Rockwell to paint the candidates again in 1968, a year that witnessed the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the war in Vietnam, and President Johnson's decision to drop his re-election bid, for one of the most complex presidential elections in American history.

"President Nixon is the hardest man I ever had to paint, ever, because he is almost good-looking. He's got a mean eye. I voted for him, but he's got a mean eye. And then he has these big chestnuts in his jowls."–Norman Rockwell

Rockwell left a personal impression on each of the candidates he portrayed. As many of them went on to be elected to higher offices, they fondly remembered their encounter with him. An independent voter with liberal ideals, Rockwell seldom publicly expressed favor for one candidate over another. Of the few inspirational quotations he tacked to his studio walls, one read "The real test of a liberal is the willingness to listen fairly to a person with opposite opinions."

When President Gerald Ford wrote to Norman Rockwell in 1976, he may have already had it in mind to award the elderly artist with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, which was presented to Rockwell in 1977.

On the awarding certificate, Ford wrote "Norman Rockwell has portrayed the American scene with unrivalled freshness and clarity. Insight, optimism, and good humor are the hallmarks of his artistic style. His vivid and affectionate portraits of our country and ourselves have become a beloved part of the American tradition."