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Norman RockwellBlackstone CigarsCirca 1921
Circa 1921
About the Item
A charming relic of a bygone era, this rare oil is the work of the inimitable American illustrator, Norman Rockwell. The iconic artist’s ability to render the details and nuances of everyday life is on full display in this original advertisement, which features a businessman enjoying a Blackstone cigar while dictating to his secretary. Executed by Rockwell in 1921, the work was a special commission for a billboard campaign by the American cigar manufacturer Waitt & Bond. They were so pleased with the work that the company commissioned two additional billboard designs from Rockwell, a hunting scene in 1922 and a fishing scene in 1923.
Rockwell's ability to capture the character of the nation was prized not only by magazine art editors but also by advertisers. Nearly all major companies of the day called upon Rockwell for his outstanding compositions, including Jell-O, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Ford, Post Cereals, and the U.S. Army, while his works continued to grace the covers of publications such as Literary Digest, Life, Country Gentleman, Look and the iconic Saturday Evening Post. Taken together, his many paintings capture the essence of the American spirit. “I paint life as I would like it to be,” Rockwell once said. Nostalgic and idealistic, his paintings evoke the hopes and aspirations of the entire nation. As filmmaker Steven Spielberg once said, “Rockwell painted the American dream – better than anyone.”
Norman Rockwell led a very long and incredibly successful career as an artist. His first commission was painted when he was only 16 years old, and his irresistible paintings of American life made him the foremost American illustrator of the 20th century. While history was in the making all around him, Rockwell chose to fill his canvases with the small details and nuances of ordinary people in everyday life. His distinguished career earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the highest honor bestowed upon an American civilian.
Circa 1921
Canvas: 16 3/4" high x 36 3/4" wide
Frame: 22 7/8" high x 43" wide
- Creator:Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978, American)
- Creation Year:Circa 1921
- Dimensions:Height: 22.88 in (58.12 cm)Width: 43 in (109.22 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:
Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell is among the most revered painters of the 20th century. His figurative and portrait paintings reflect an innocent and idyllic America described by the artist as "life as I would like it to be." For nearly 50 years, he illustrated the covers of The Saturday Evening Post in a rich and emotive style that gave distinctive personalities to his imagined characters. In total, Norman Rockwell created more than 4,000 works of art over the course of his life.
Rockwell was born in 1894 in New York City. His artistic aspirations took shape early on, and when he was 14 years old, he took classes at the New York School of the Art, which is now the Parsons School of Design. Later, he attended the Art Students League of New York, where he studied under influential painters Thomas Fogarty and George Bridgman. While still a teen, Rockwell became art director of the Boy Scouts of America publication Boys' Life.
At 21, Rockwell moved to New Rochelle, New York, and opened a studio with fellow illustrator Victor Clyde Forsythe. He created illustrations for magazines like Literary Digest and Life before his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post was published when he was 22. In 1939, after moving to Arlington, Vermont, Rockwell pivoted to making the nostalgic paintings of small-town and iconic America for which he is best known — scenes of Christmas dinner, children playing in the street and national treasures like Ruby Bridges and Rosie the Riveter.
In 1943, a speech previously given by President Franklin Roosevelt inspired Rockwell to create his most famous series, “The Four Freedoms,” which was exhibited all over the United States. The series included four pieces entitled Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.
Rockwell moved with his family to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1953, where he spent the rest of his life. My Adventures as an Illustrator — the autobiography Rockwell wrote with the help of his son, Thomas — was published in 1960. In 1963, Rockwell ceased working with The Saturday Evening Post and started drawing illustrations for Look magazine.
The world’s largest collection of original Rockwell art can be found at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The artist was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and he passed away peacefully in his home the following year.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of original Norman Rockwell paintings, prints, drawings and other works.
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