April Fool: Fishing,” Norman Rockwell. 1945. Cover illustration for “The Saturday Evening Post,” March 31, 1945. Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections. ©1945 SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
1. the trout, the fishhook and the water, all on the stairway;
2. the stairway running behind the fireplace,
an architectural impossibility;
3. the mailbox;
4. the faucet;
5. wall-paper upside down;
6. wallpaper has two designs;
7. the scissors candlestick;
8. silhouettes upside down;
9. bacon and egg on the decorative plate;
10. the April-fool clock;
11. the portraits;
12. ducks in the living room;
13. zebra looking out […]
With our two current exhibitions featuring the art of "The Saturday Evening Post," it seems like the perfect time to look at a popular recurring feature that Norman Rockwell created for the venerable publication. Can you find all 57 “errors” in Rockwell's "Girl with Shopkeeper," from the April 3, 1948 cover of the "Post?"
Norman Rockwell had a terrific sense of humor, and enjoyed sharing it with his many fans. One of the most memorable outlets for this was achieved through the series of April Fools' Day illustrations he created for The Saturday Evening Post. Can you spot all 43 "mistakes" in Rockwell's April 3, 1943 cover?
Congratulations to Anne-Marie Stanley of Lynn, MA! Anne-Marie guessed all 51 jokes Rockwell included in Norman Rockwell's classic 1945 April Fools cover. She wins two complimentary tickets to the Museum and a copy of the print.
It's that time of year again! Norman Rockwell's April Fools illustrations were a popular tradition on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell created three successful (and hilarious) paintings for the series, which kept Post readers busy searching for the artist's intentional mistakes (the answers were printed in the following week's edition).
As originally printed in The Saturday Evening Post, “the principal April fooleries” in Rockwell’s April 1943 painting are:
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “April Fool: Checkers,” 1943. Cover […]
Moving Pictures: The Art of Animation Wednesday, April 11, 3:15 to 5 p.m. Norman Rockwell: Humorous Tales and Little Known Facts Friday, April 13, 2:30 p.m. The Art of Portraiture with Everett Raymond Kinstler Talk and Painting Demonstration Saturday, April 14, 1 to 4 p.m.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “April Fool: Girl with Shopkeeper,” 1948. Cover illustration for “The Saturday Evening Post,” April 3, 1948. Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections. ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, Indianapolis, IN
Here are the answers, as reported in The Saturday Evening Post. We’re sure a couple of the “errors” might seem perfectly normal today: the girl’s “purse book” could actually […]
This program is suspended in observance of public health guidelines. Read more here... Norman Rockwell in Detail Second Fridays, March - June 1:00 p.m. Explore Norman Rockwell’s unique brand of visual storytelling and the artist’s adventures in illustration with Curator of Education Tom Daly.
Explore Norman Rockwell’s unique brand of visual storytelling during this enlightening and engaging series exploring the artist’s adventures in illustration, with Curator of Education Tom Daly.
Thank you for your interest in consigning or donating a Rockwell Signed Print/Lithograph with the museum.
All information regarding our process to consign, donate & appraise your work is available on this webpage.
New acquisitions, and requests for information, will be answered in November 2023.
WHAT’S MY ROCKWELL WORTH? FAQ
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), Saying Grace, […]
Second Friday of each month from December through April December 9, January 13, February 10, March 9, and April 13, 2:30 p.m. Celebrate Norman Rockwell’s unique brand of humor during this engaging, enlightening series exploring the artist’s adventures in illustration, with Curator of Education Tom Daly. Free with Museum admission, members free.
Ella Sharpe Museum of Art & History, Jackson, MI
October 23, 2010 – January 8, 2011
Stauth Memorial Museum, Montezuma, Kansas
December 11, 2011 – February 4, 2012
During his forty-seven year affiliation with The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his special holiday cover illustrations, which were commissioned to mark a […]
. . .children want to believe in Santa Claus just as fervently as we adults want to believe in Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. —Norman Rockwell
During his forty-seven year affiliation with The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his special holiday cover illustrations, which were commissioned to mark a full spectrum of annual events for an enthusiastic public, from […]
Liza Donnelly: Comic Relief
Liza Donnelly
Love in the Time of Social Distancing, March 2020
Ink and watercolor on paper
Collection of the artist
In discussing this drawing, Liza Donnelly said: “Our globe is experiencing a terrible pandemic, one that is killing thousands of people of every gender, race, class, and religion. As a cartoonist, it is […]
ILLUSTRATION COLLECTIONS
Group photo of Famous Artists School Faculty. Left to right: Harold von Schmidt, John Atherton, Al Parker, founder Al Dorne (white shirt, on ground), Norman Rockwell (with painting created for Cecil B. DeMille’s 1949 film, “Samson and Delilah”), Ben Stahl, Peter Helck, Stevan Dohanos, Jon Whitcomb, Austin Briggs (rear, far right), and Robert Fawcett (front, far right). ©Norman Rockwell […]
