The family of Norman Rockwell wrote that the recent use of his work in social media posts from the Department of Homeland Security would have "devastated" the famed artist.
The official DHS Facebook account made multiple posts including images from Rockwell's paintings, including one in August that showed his 1971 painting "Salute the Flag" and another that referenced his painting "Working on the Statue of Liberty" from 1946.
Rockwell's son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren wrote in an opinion piece released this week by USA Today that Rockwell was "profoundly shaken by the injustices toward Black Americans that were brought to the forefront during the Civil Rights Movement," and particularly civil rights icon Ruby Bridges.
"If Norman Rockwell were alive today, he would be devastated to see that not only does the problem Ruby Bridges confronted 65 years ago still plague us as a society, but that his own work has been marshalled for the cause of persecution toward immigrant communities and people of color," they wrote.
"We — as his eldest son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — believe that now is the time to follow in his footsteps and stand for the values he truly wished to share with us and all Americans: compassion, inclusiveness and justice for all," they said.
They also noted that the artist painted "more than 4,000 works during his career, many of them depicting what are considered classic scenes from 20th century American life: Boy Scouts, doctor visits, squabbling couples, soda shops, soldiers returning from war, linemen and so much more.
"From 1916 to 1963, he regularly painted covers for the Saturday Evening Post, which by and large depicted only White people," Rockwell's family members wrote.
"The scarcity of people of color in Rockwell's paintings has led those who are not familiar with his entire oeuvre to draw the conclusion that his vision was of a White America, free of immigrants and people of color. But nothing could have been further from the truth."
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that it "will continue using every tool at its disposal to keep the American people informed as our agents work to Make America Safe Again."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.