Norman Rockwell’s Photo Realism: Photo vs Painting

Norman Rockwell (Feb. 3, 1894 – Nov. 8, 1978) was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the 322 cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for over 47 years. He is also well-known for his work with the Boy Scouts of America.
A prolific artist, Rockwell produced over 4,000 original works in his lifetime. What some people may be unaware of is that Rockwell meticulously composed photographs that he used as part of his artistic process to create his famous paintings and illustrations. According to Ron Schick, the author of Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera:
Working alongside skilled photographers, Rockwell acted as director, carefully orchestrating models, selecting props, and choosing locations for the photographs–works of art in their own right–that served as the basis of his iconic images… many of his most memorable characters – the girl at the mirror, the young couple on prom night, the family on vacation – were friends and neighbours who served as his amateur models. ENTRY & PHOTO SOURCE: twistedsifter.com