Joseph Csatari

Artist and Illustrator

As a boy, Joseph Csatari re-created Saturday Evening Post covers painted by his mentor and hero, Norman Rockwell. Possessing the ability to capture the spirit of life and patriotism in his works, Csatari became an internationally acclaimed portrait artist, watercolorist, and illustrator. Csatari worked with Rockwell for more than eight years and took over Rockwell’s role as official artist for the Boy Scouts of America in 1977. He also served as art director for Boys’ Life magazine, a position Rockwell himself held at the beginning of his career. Csatari studied art at the Academy of Arts in Newark, and also attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In 1953, he was named art director of the BSA’s advertising department, a position he held for 22 years. Csatari’s work has appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and McCall’s. Csatari painted the covers of more than 100 young reader books, and his paintings have been made into two commemorative U.S. postage stamps, collectible plates and figurines. During his career, Csatari received numerous prestigious honors including several awards of excellence in editorial art directing from the Society of Illustrators.