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Tender Years: Moth Holes by Norman Rockwell

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Tender Years: Moth Holes by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell
1894-1978 | American

Tender Years: Moth Holes

Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

From Norman Rockwell's acclaimed Four Seasons calendar series for Brown & Bigelow, Tender Years: Moth Holes represents the artist's masterful exploration of mature American relationships and his unparalleled ability to transform ordinary domestic moments into profound artistic narratives. This 1957 painting displays Rockwell's sentimental commitment to celebrating the "charms and comforts of maturity" during an era obsessed with youth.

The composition presents a couple discovering the unfortunate fate of their stored seasonal clothing, with the husband displaying his moth-riddled red long underwear while his wife examines the damage with resigned familiarity. Rockwell's meticulous attention to detail manifests in every element: the weathered wooden trunk with its brass fittings, the scattered moths dancing above the scene, the couple's expressive faces and the comfortable acceptance that comes with decades of shared domestic trials. The careful rendering of textures—from the soft wool of the sweaters to the worn leather of the trunk—demonstrates Rockwell's technical virtuosity at every turn.

Norman Rockwell stands as America's most beloved illustrator, whose work transcended commercial art to become a defining visual narrative of 20th-century American life. His Brown & Bigelow calendar series (1948-1964) ranks alongside his Saturday Evening Post covers as works that elevated him from celebrated illustrator to national institution. Rockwell's extraordinary ability to find profound meaning in everyday moments earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the highest civilian honor bestowed upon American citizens. His art, characterized by meticulous detail and emotional depth, captures the essence of the American spirit with an authenticity that continues to resonate across generations. Museums worldwide, including the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, preserve and celebrate his legacy as an artist who documented American values, aspirations and the tender moments that unite us all.

Painted 1957

Canvas: 17 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide (44.45 x 44.45 cm)
Frame: 26 1/8" high x 26 1/8" wide (66.36 x 66.36 cm)

Provenance:
Judy Goffman Fine Art, New York
Illustration House, New York
Private collection, Florida
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. I, Stockbridge, 1986, no. A151, p. 353, illustrated in color
Norman Rockwell
1894-1978 | American

Tender Years: Moth Holes

Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

From Norman Rockwell's acclaimed Four Seasons calendar series for Brown & Bigelow, Tender Years: Moth Holes represents the artist's masterful exploration of mature American relationships and his unparalleled ability to transform ordinary domestic moments into profound artistic narratives. This 1957 painting displays Rockwell's sentimental commitment to celebrating the "charms and comforts of maturity" during an era obsessed with youth.

The composition presents a couple discovering the unfortunate fate of their stored seasonal clothing, with the husband displaying his moth-riddled red long underwear while his wife examines the damage with resigned familiarity. Rockwell's meticulous attention to detail manifests in every element: the weathered wooden trunk with its brass fittings, the scattered moths dancing above the scene, the couple's expressive faces and the comfortable acceptance that comes with decades of shared domestic trials. The careful rendering of textures—from the soft wool of the sweaters to the worn leather of the trunk—demonstrates Rockwell's technical virtuosity at every turn.

Norman Rockwell stands as America's most beloved illustrator, whose work transcended commercial art to become a defining visual narrative of 20th-century American life. His Brown & Bigelow calendar series (1948-1964) ranks alongside his Saturday Evening Post covers as works that elevated him from celebrated illustrator to national institution. Rockwell's extraordinary ability to find profound meaning in everyday moments earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the highest civilian honor bestowed upon American citizens. His art, characterized by meticulous detail and emotional depth, captures the essence of the American spirit with an authenticity that continues to resonate across generations. Museums worldwide, including the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, preserve and celebrate his legacy as an artist who documented American values, aspirations and the tender moments that unite us all.

Painted 1957

Canvas: 17 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide (44.45 x 44.45 cm)
Frame: 26 1/8" high x 26 1/8" wide (66.36 x 66.36 cm)

Provenance:
Judy Goffman Fine Art, New York
Illustration House, New York
Private collection, Florida
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. I, Stockbridge, 1986, no. A151, p. 353, illustrated in color
$309,750.00

Original: $885,000.00

-65%
Tender Years: Moth Holes by Norman Rockwell

$885,000.00

$309,750.00

Description

Norman Rockwell
1894-1978 | American

Tender Years: Moth Holes

Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

From Norman Rockwell's acclaimed Four Seasons calendar series for Brown & Bigelow, Tender Years: Moth Holes represents the artist's masterful exploration of mature American relationships and his unparalleled ability to transform ordinary domestic moments into profound artistic narratives. This 1957 painting displays Rockwell's sentimental commitment to celebrating the "charms and comforts of maturity" during an era obsessed with youth.

The composition presents a couple discovering the unfortunate fate of their stored seasonal clothing, with the husband displaying his moth-riddled red long underwear while his wife examines the damage with resigned familiarity. Rockwell's meticulous attention to detail manifests in every element: the weathered wooden trunk with its brass fittings, the scattered moths dancing above the scene, the couple's expressive faces and the comfortable acceptance that comes with decades of shared domestic trials. The careful rendering of textures—from the soft wool of the sweaters to the worn leather of the trunk—demonstrates Rockwell's technical virtuosity at every turn.

Norman Rockwell stands as America's most beloved illustrator, whose work transcended commercial art to become a defining visual narrative of 20th-century American life. His Brown & Bigelow calendar series (1948-1964) ranks alongside his Saturday Evening Post covers as works that elevated him from celebrated illustrator to national institution. Rockwell's extraordinary ability to find profound meaning in everyday moments earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, the highest civilian honor bestowed upon American citizens. His art, characterized by meticulous detail and emotional depth, captures the essence of the American spirit with an authenticity that continues to resonate across generations. Museums worldwide, including the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, preserve and celebrate his legacy as an artist who documented American values, aspirations and the tender moments that unite us all.

Painted 1957

Canvas: 17 1/2" high x 17 1/2" wide (44.45 x 44.45 cm)
Frame: 26 1/8" high x 26 1/8" wide (66.36 x 66.36 cm)

Provenance:
Judy Goffman Fine Art, New York
Illustration House, New York
Private collection, Florida
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. I, Stockbridge, 1986, no. A151, p. 353, illustrated in color
Tender Years: Moth Holes by Norman Rockwell | M.S. Rau