gandalf1202:

Norman Rockwell – The Rookie (Red Sox Locker Room) [1957]

Painted in 1957 as the March 2 cover for The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell’s this work is an iconic image by an artist celebrated for shaping the culture of a nation with his vision of America. As America’s preeminent illustrator, Rockwell was one of the greatest mass communicators of the century. Painting a sweeping range of topics during a century of extensive technological and social change, he helped forge a sense of national identity through his art, producing more than 800 magazine covers. In doing so, Rockwell became as ubiquitous to the American public as the images he created. The Rookie (Red Sox Locker Room), which depicts America’s greatest pastime, painted in a patriotic palette of predominately red, white and blue, is as quintessentially Rockwell and singularly American as the very best of his work.

[Christie’s, New York – Oil on canvas, 104.1 x 99 cm]