The making of Norman Rockwell's "Golden Rule"

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In preparing to paint this 1961 Saturday Evening Post cover, Norman Rockwell noted that many countries, cultures, and religions incorporate some version of the Golden Rule into their belief systems. “Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You” is a simple but universal phrase that reflected Rockwell’s personal philosophy. A gathering of people from different cultures, religions, and ethnicities, this image was a precursor of the socially conscious subjects that Rockwell would illustrate in the 1960s and 1970s. Rockwell was a compassionate man, and this simple phrase reflected his philosophy.

"I’d been reading up on comparative religion. The thing is that all major religions have the Golden Rule in Common. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Not always the same words but the same meaning."
– Norman Rockwell