Norman Rockwell took the traditional oil painting to a new level, and in doing so reinforced the American mythology for anyone who had a nickel and a dime to buy the Saturday Evening Post.  He brought an idyllic world full of smiling faces, innocent children, and small-town comfort to life in a time of uncertainty and change.  The "apple pie" America that Rockwell depicted resonated deep within the hearts of many Americans; his influence can still be seen today in advertising, movies and broad cultural ideals.  Rockwell used his illustrations to escape his own unpleasant reality, which was far from the one he depicted in his work. He had a very distinct concept of the picture-perfect family: the domestic, nurturing mother; the distant, breadwinner father; and the adorable, carefree children - all within a warm, welcoming country home.  A majority of his illustrations focused upon the relationships between either the father and son or the compassionate mother and her children.
 

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