Triple Self-Portrait, 1959 Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) Oil on canvas Humor and humility were essential aspects of Norman Rockwell's character, so when asked to do a self-portrait that would announce the first of eight excerpts of his autobiography, the result was lighthearted and somewhat self-deprecating. The painting provides the essential elements not of his life as an illustrator, but of the specific commission. Rockwell's life is far too eventful to approach summation in a single work, so he limits the composition to himself, his artists' materials, his references, a canvas on an easel, and a mirror.
Inconsistencies in this painting are cause for wonder. Rockwell was a stickler for neatness, but here he has scattered matchsticks, paint tubes, and brushes over the studio floor. The glass of Coca-Cola, Rockwell's usual afternoon pick-me-up, looks as if it will tip over at any moment. Some discrepancies can be explained away. He has traded his usual Windsor chair for a stool (easier to see more of him?) and his milk glass palette table for a hand-held wooden palette (an economy of picture space?). In real life, Rockwell's mirror was not topped with an eagle; it may have been added to send a message. Most other features are true to life: He did tack or tape studies to his drawings or canvases and he did immerse himself in favorite artwork before beginning a project. That Rockwell's eyes cannot be seen bothers some who try to find a psychological significance. But photos of Rockwell posing show he could not have seen his own eyes; his mirror was directly opposite his studio's massive north window, causing the reflected glare on his lenses.
Paint rags and pipe ashes sometimes conspired to ignite small fires in Rockwell's brass bucket, so the wisp of smoke in the painting rings true. Rockwell's brass helmet, usually placed on an unused easel, crowns this one. Just as the smoke is a reminder that once Rockwell's studio caught fire as a result of his carelessness with pipe ashes, the helmet refers to a favorite Rockwell story. While in Paris in 1923, Rockwell acquired it from an antiques dealer who sold it as a military relic rather than as the contemporary French fireman's helmet Rockwell later found it to be.
The four self-portraits on his canvas-Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh-are his references. They invite us to compare (as he did) how other artists tackled the problem of a self-portrait.
Painting for The Saturday Evening Post cover, February 13, 1960 44.5 x 34.75 inches Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust, NRACT.1973.19 ©1959 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN