Mary Doyle Keefe, who was the model for Norman Rockwell’s iconic Rosie the Riveter painting, has died at age 92. The piece epitomized the work women did on the homefront during World War II.
The painting shows Keefe in overalls with a rivet gun on her lap, standing on a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. It was used on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in May 1943. She was just 19 at the time and Rockwell later apologized for making her arms so much larger than they were in real life. According to the Hartford Courant, Keefe also wasn’t a riveter and was only paid $5 for two visits to Rockwell’s studio.
Keefe’s daughter, Mary Ellen Keefe, confirmed to the Associated Press that her mother died in Simsbury, Connecticut on Tuesday.
The sad news was also confirmed by The Norman Rockwell Museum, which noted that she was a frequent visitor of the museum to share her story and give autographs.
The Rosie the Riveter painting can be seen at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.