Signed and inscribed lower right

The artist. Steven M. Kovac, Hartsdale, New York, acquired from the above. By descent from the above; Christies, New York, September 25, 2012; Private collection.

Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978) A Man's Wife, Ladies' Home Journal magazine interior study, February 1939 Charcoal on paper 24-1/2 x 32 inches (62.2 x 81.3 cm) Signed and inscribed lower right Property from an Important American Illustration Art Collection. The consignor of this lot will donate partial proceeds up to 20% of the hammer price to the Salvation Army in dedication to Ed Jaster. PROVENANCE: The artist; Steven M. Kovac, Hartsdale, New York, acquired from the above; By descent from the above; Christies, New York, September 25, 2012, lot 111; Private collection. The present work is published on page 688-89 in Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. 2 by L.N. Moffatt (Univ. Pr. of New England, 1986). Norman Rockwell drew this finely detailed study for a full-page artwork which appeared alongside the story "A Man's Wife" in the February, 1939, issue of Ladies' Home Journal. Detailing a private moment in the household of George and Martha Washington, the image embodies Rockwell's unfailing interest in evoking the human heart of all his subjects, even those of legendary historic status. Steven Spielberg once said, "Aside from being an astonishingly good storyteller, Rockwell spoke volumes about a certain kind of American morality. It is a morality based on popular values and patriotism, a morality that yearns above all for goodness to trump evil." (L.N. Moffatt, "The People's Painter," in M.H. Hennessey and A. Knutson, Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People, New York, 1999, p. 26) The scope of Rockwell's appeal is still expanding as new generations explore the same questions of American identity that Rockwell so continually investigated in his art. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Minor buckling to the sheet. A few scattered created to the sheet, visible under close inspection. The entire surface is covered in a layer of fixative which has helped preserve the image and prevent smudging, but has also oxidized and darkened the paper heavily. Framed Dimensions 40.5 X 33 Inches