Norman Rockwell 1894-1978

Brown and Bigelow, St. Paul, Minnesota
Private Collection, circa 1965 (sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 29, 1990, lot 137, illustrated in color)
Private Collection (sold: Sotheby's, New York, December 3, 1992, lot 202, illustrated in color)
Fine Art Society, London
Forbes Collection (acquired from the above; sold: Christie's, New York, November 29, 2001, lot 153, illustrated in color, as Halloween)

New York, The Forbes Magazine Galleries, 200 Years of American Art from the Forbes Magazine Collection, May-September 1999, no. 29

Mary Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia: A Chronological Catalog of the Artist's Work, 1910-1978, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, p. 226
Laurie Norton Moffat, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, no. A131, pp. 312-313, illustrated
Charles Forbes, "The Forbes Magazine Collection," American Art Review, June 1999, pp. 128-141.

Good condition, unlined; under UV: dashes of retouching in corner and along top and bottom edges to address frame abrasion.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Each year from 1947 to 1964 Norman Rockwell completed four paintings for the annual Four Seasons calendar published by Brown & Bigelow. Still in reproduction today, these seasonal images remain some of his most popular calendar works. Old Man and Boy: Halloween appeared as the autumn illustration for the 1952 Brown & Bigelow Four Seasons calendar. Charles Crofut, one of Rockwell's favorite models and a neighbor in Arlington, Vermont, portrays the pumpkin carver. His grandson, Roy Crofut, poses with him. Rockwell was fond of young Roy and knowing money was short for the Crofut family during the long Vermont winters, he often hired the boy to do odd jobs such as clean out the Rockwell's cellar or garage and on occasion, carry a painting to Curtis Publishing in Philadelphia. " 'Be sure to tip everyone,' Rockwell told Crofut before departure, handing him sufficient money for an overnight stay in New York. 'When I arrived in the city everyone seemed to know Norman Rockwell—the redcaps in Penn Station and the bellboys at the hotel all jumped to help me with the big package because they knew how generous he was'" (Susan E. Meyer, Norman Rockwell's People, 1981, p.143).