Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) is, without question, the best-loved artist in American history, and yet this is the first book to seriously assess his achievement. It offers penetrating and enlightening readings of many of Rockwell's most popular paintings and promises to be a revelation to both fans and critics alike.

In seven chapters, Marling examines the many forces that shaped Rockwell's artistic vision, among them his conception of the calling of the illustrator, his empathy with children, his role in the Colonial Revival of the 1920s and 1930s, his discovery of the narrative power of everyday details, his anxiety over his identity as an artist, and his ambition to create works that would change the world.

She uncovers many fresh details about Rockwell, showing, for example, how his friendships with Erik Erikson and Robert Coles in the 1960s influenced his response to the Civil Rights Movement, eliciting paintings such as The Problem We All Live With and New Kids in the Neighborhood that helped to sway public opinion.