The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, has been building a renowned collection of American illustration for decades, complementing Norman Rockwell’s own holdings of work by leading illustrators. In 2017, noted American illustrator Anne Bascove — known professionally as Bascove — made a generous gift of more than 500 original illustrations and studies to the museum’s Permanent Collection of Illustration Art.
The Third Life of Grange Copeland © Bascove
To celebrate this significant acquisition, the museum is presenting a special exhibition through June 5 titled Bascove: The Time We Spend with Words. Bascove is a versatile artist — a master printmaker, illustrator, painter and collagist — widely recognized for her bold woodcut book jackets and magazine illustrations as well as for her series of paintings and drawings depicting New York City’s bridges. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Redbook and Travel & Leisure.
The Waves © Bascove
The exhibition highlights Bascove’s contributions to important contemporary literature and traces her creative process, showing works from initial sketches through wood block carvings to final illustrations. Visitors can also view a video interview with the artist and listen to an audio tour that provides further context for the works on display.
Bascove is based in New York City and was born in Philadelphia, where she earned a B.A. from the Philadelphia College of Art. Her early passion for art shaped how she experiences the world. “From an early age I learned that the world only makes sense to me through art,” she has said. “My love of my city and fascination with science, architecture, and literature has always driven my explorations. I love to share that curiosity and exhilaration through my work.”
Strange Things Happen Here © Bascove
In the late 1970s, while living beside the Seine in Paris, Bascove began drawing bridges — a subject that became a lasting focus and that continued to evolve after she returned to New York City. Her work reflects a deep engagement with urban landscapes, architecture and the narratives that emerge from places and structures, bringing a distinctive visual voice to contemporary illustration.
The Bascove donation and the accompanying exhibition deepen the Norman Rockwell Museum’s commitment to preserving and presenting the best of American illustration, offering visitors an opportunity to explore the techniques and inspirations of a major contemporary illustrator.