Norman Rockwell - Signed and Numbered Artist Proof -1972 Huckleberry Finn Litho

Description: Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)This signed limited addition 1972 original color lithograph on Arches paper titled ‘Then for Three Minutes’ or also referred to as ‘King and Duke Crying’ was done by Norman Rockwell for illustration of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn Folio, that was part of the 1972 story Illustration and media print lithography. This original hand-proofed lithograph was printed by Circle Gallery in August 1972 as part of a small, limited edition run consisting of 295 total impressions. All 295 impressions were signed in pencil by Norman Rockwell, with 200 of the edition being numbered, 60 designated as artist proofs and 35 designated with roman numerals. This Lithograph measures 26” x 20” or in the original period frame dimensions of 35-1/2” x 31-1/4” and is signed lower right by Norman Rockwell and marked as A/P (Artist Proof) in the lower left corner. The lithograph also has a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) verso, from the renowned art expert, fine art dealer and the Curator at the Louis Icart Museum in Philadelphia, PA, Nathan D. Isen. There is also a brief biography and a label describing this as number 82 of the 295 impressions that were made.Arthur L. Guptill - Norman Rockwell as an illustrator for Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn: When Norman Rockwell was asked to illustrate Mark Twain's classic children's book, he visited the book's setting in Hannibal Missouri. Here he gained a new perspective on the stories and he was inspired to depict Twain's scenes as authentically as possible. He also acquired a new respect for the characters and wrote that "It was great fun analyzing the characters in 'Huckleberry Finn' and then trying to portray them as faithfully as possible. The longer I worked at the task, the more in love with the different personalities I became."Each step toward the completion of the Huckleberry Finn series gave Rockwell great pleasure. Everything from rounding up costumes to the preliminary sketches was an exciting challenge. "Rounding up the costumes for these Mark Twain books was part of the fun of the assignment," Rockwell said. "At the time I lived in New Rochelle where people don't wear old clothes, so in Hannibal I bought my needed costumes right off people's backs. Gradually by purchase and barter I gathered the toil-worn costumes I needed."Biography: Born in New York City in 1894, Norman Rockwell always wanted to be an artist. At age 14, Rockwell enrolled in art classes at The New York School of Art (formerly The Chase School of Art). Two years later, in 1910, he left high school to study art at The National Academy of Design. He soon transferred to The Art Students League, where he studied with Thomas Fogarty and George Bridgman. Fogarty’s instruction in illustration prepared Rockwell for his first commercial commissions. From Bridgman, Rockwell learned the technical skills on which he relied throughout his long career.Rockwell found success early. He painted his first commission of four Christmas cards before his sixteenth birthday. While still in his teens, he was hired as art director of Boys’ Life, the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, and began a successful freelance career illustrating a variety of young people’s publications.At age 21, Rockwell’s family moved to New Rochelle, New York, a community whose residents included such famous illustrators as J.C. and Frank Leyendecker and Howard Chandler Christy. There, Rockwell set up a studio with the cartoonist Clyde Forsythe and produced work for such magazines as Life, Literary Digest, and Country Gentleman. In 1916, the 22-year-old Rockwell painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, the magazine considered by Rockwell to be the “greatest show window in America.” Over the next 47 years, another 321 Rockwell covers would appear on the cover of the Post. Also in 1916, Rockwell married Irene O’Connor; they divorced in 1930.The 1930s and 1940s are generally considered to be the most fruitful decades of Rockwell’s career. In 1930 he married Mary Barstow, a schoolteacher, and the couple had three sons, Jarvis, Thomas, and Peter. The family moved to Arlington, Vermont, in 1939, and Rockwell’s work began to reflect small-town American life.In 1943, inspired by President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to Congress, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms paintings. They were reproduced in four consecutive issues of The Saturday Evening Post with essays by contemporary writers. Rockwell’s interpretations of Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear proved to be enormously popular. The works toured the United States in an exhibition that was jointly sponsored by the Post and the U.S. Treasury Department and, through the sale of war bonds, raised more than $130 million for the war effort.Although the Four Freedoms series was a great success, 1943 also brought Rockwell an enormous loss. A fire destroyed his Arlington studio as well as numerous paintings and his collection of historical costumes and props.In 1953, the Rockwell family moved from Arlington, Vermont, to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Six years later, Mary Barstow Rockwell died unexpectedly. In collaboration with his son Thomas, Rockwell published his autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator, in 1960. The Saturday Evening Post carried excerpts from the best-selling book in eight consecutive issues, with Rockwell’s Triple Self-Portrait on the cover of the first.In 1961, Rockwell married Molly Punderson, a retired teacher. Two years later, he ended his 47-year association with The Saturday Evening Post and began to work for Look magazine. During his 10-year association with Look, Rockwell painted pictures illustrating some of his deepest concerns and interests, including civil rights, America’s war on poverty, and the exploration of space.In 1973, Rockwell established a trust to preserve his artistic legacy by placing his works in the custodianship of the Old Corner House Stockbridge Historical Society, later to become Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge. The trust now forms the core of the Museum’s permanent collections. In 1976, in failing health, Rockwell became concerned about the future of his studio. He arranged to have his studio and its contents added to the trust. In 1977, Rockwell received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died peacefully at his home in Stockbridge on November 8, 1978, at the age of 84.In 2008, Rockwell was named the official artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts thanks to a dedicated effort from students in Berkshire County, where Rockwell lived for the last 25 years of his life.

Price: 950 USD

Location: Dubuque, Iowa

End Time: 2023-12-20T12:03:36.000Z

Shipping Cost: 125 USD