The Adventurers

In 1916, at the age of twenty-two, Norman Rockwell painted his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post. Throughout the course of his ensuing decades-long partnership with America’s most popular magazine, Rockwell ultimately executed 321 cover illustrations. By presenting his audience with wholesome, humorous and idealistic images of their own lives, Rockwell earned a reputation as one of the most celebrated illustrators of the 20th century. 

Appearing on the cover of The Post in April 1928, The Adventurers captures the quintessentially American spirit of adventure. Rockwell’s composition juxtaposes personifications of the Old World with the New—the young man represents a fresh, exciting era of exploration while the older gentleman reminisces about his past adventures. Executed during the twelfth year of Rockwell’s relationship with The Post, the present work is evocative of Rockwell’s early and more painterly style, displaying a rich and varied surface that is full of detail. Indeed, The Adventurers demonstrates not only the full extent of the artist’s technical precision and masterful draftsmanship, but also his seemingly limitless imagination, making it a truly remarkable example of Rockwell’s ability to elevate commercial endeavors into the aesthetic realm.