Norman Rockwell

James Oliver Bovaird (gifted directly from the artist)
James Oliver Bovaird, Jr. (by descent from the above)
Private collection (by descent from the above)
Sotheby's New York, 22 May 2008, lot 100 (consigned by the above)
Private collection (acquired from the above sale)

Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Stockbridge,, 1986, vol. I, no. A125a, p. 310-11, illustrated

Brown & Bigelow commissioned Norman Rockwell to create images for its Four Seasons calendar series from 1948 through 1964. Each year, the calendar had one central theme on which Rockwell painted four separate illustrations, one for each season. The suite of images took the audience through a year in the life of two central characters, often a young couple or a boy and his dog, and depicted them engaged in a seasonal activity such as ice skating in the winter or swimming in the summer. In addition to appearing as calendar illustrations, Rockwell’s images were reprinted in other forms, including as prints and other collectible items, which allowed them to become widely known and beloved by the American public. The present work is a study for the spring 1951 calendar illustration.