I- World War I Soldier Marching with Children by Norman Rockwell
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World War I Soldier Marching with Children, this Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published February 22, 1919.
An alternate title for this painting is The Doughboy and His Admirers.
This painting was Rockwell's sixteenth overall picture out of 322 total featured on the cover of The Post. Rockwell's career with the Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.
This was also the second Rockwell cover in 1919. The Post featured a Rockwell illustration on its cover eleven times in 1919.
The original oil on canvas painting, 24.5 x 21.5 inches or 62 x 54.5 cm, is part of a private collection.
On December 3, 2009, the original painting was sold at auction at Sotheby's New York. The high bidder paid $662,500 for the original oil on canvas, which exceeded the upper lomits of its pre-sale estimate of $125,000 to $175,000.
The painting was previously the property of Fleet Bank of Providence, Rhode Island. Fleet Bank was apparently taken over by Bank of America, which liquidated the painting.
Original copies of this magazine cover in pristine condition have been bought for well over one hundred dollars on eBay. And it only cost a nickel when it was new.
At the time of publication, World War I hostilities had ceased for three months. The German Kaiser had abdicated in November 1918 and peace certainly looked to be at hand.
It was only natural that Rockwell depicted soldiers returning home to their families, friend and hometowns. Rockwell usually painted current events.
Here we see a World War I soldier returning to his hometown. He wears three medals on his chest. He is a returning war hero.
Can anyone identify the medals he wears? Rockwell was a stickler for authentic details, so the medals are likely real World War One medals.
He walks like he is still marching in formation. In fact, he is marching in formation. His fellow soldiers are all children.
His fellow soldiers are a rag-tag bunch. Only one wears a helmet, and that is actually a soup-pot. That same child wears a very large medal and carries a sword. He also wears a very serious look on his face.
World War I Soldier Marching with Children was only one of 322 Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post covers;
One other child wears a sword in his scabbard. That child also wears a hat made of newspaper.
The rest of the children are all weaponless and dressed in civilian clothes.
Most importantly, they are all glad to welcome their war hero home.
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Silver Star winner poses for Norman Rockwell
Vincent Kelly, Company F, 116th Squadron, 101st Cavalry, posed for this Normal Rockwell illustration. It is used courtesy of the Army Art Collection, US Army Center of Military History.
Norman Rockwell’s painting Rosie the Riveter, an immensely popular icon of the American work ethic, is now part of the permanent collection at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Painted for the May 29, 1943 cover of the Saturday Evening Post, Rosie the Riveter depicts a strong, capable feminine figure on the home front work effort during World War II.
“Rockwell’s thoroughly modern Rosie not only addresses the war effort as touching all American lives but a ‘can do’ spirit and the emergence of women into the workforce during a time of national crisis,” said Chris Crosman, chief curator at Crystal Bridges. “She is emblematic of a sea change in American culture,” said Crosman. “Importantly, the artist’s depiction celebrates, even helps to invent, due to mass distribution as a War Bond poster and magazine cover, the beginnings of gender equality.”
