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Learn MoreA Scout is Friendly by Norman Rockwell
- This painting is one of Norman Rockwell's iconic works for the Boy Scouts of America
- The famed artist perfectly captures a young Scout in an everyday moment
- Rockwell's meticulous attention to detail transforms an ordinary moment into a profound narrative
- The work exemplifies the technical virtuosity that earned Rockwell the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Get complete item description here
$1,950,000
Item No.
32-1958
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Description
Norman Rockwell
1894-1978 | American
A Scout is Friendly
Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
Norman Rockwell captured the heart and soul of America in the 20th century like no other artist. This iconic work, entitled A Scout is Friendly, embodies the artist's decades-long connection to the Boy Scouts of America—a relationship that would define some of his most significant images. Rockwell believed the Scouts embodied the nation's highest values,. . .
1894-1978 | American
A Scout is Friendly
Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
Norman Rockwell captured the heart and soul of America in the 20th century like no other artist. This iconic work, entitled A Scout is Friendly, embodies the artist's decades-long connection to the Boy Scouts of America—a relationship that would define some of his most significant images. Rockwell believed the Scouts embodied the nation's highest values,. . .
Read More
Norman Rockwell
1894-1978 | American
A Scout is Friendly
Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
Norman Rockwell captured the heart and soul of America in the 20th century like no other artist. This iconic work, entitled A Scout is Friendly, embodies the artist's decades-long connection to the Boy Scouts of America—a relationship that would define some of his most significant images. Rockwell believed the Scouts embodied the nation's highest values, and his narrative depictions of these young men stand among the most profound and coveted images he ever created.
Rockwell created this work for the 1943 Boy Scouts of America calendar produced by Brown & Bigelow. Rather than set in the wilderness, A Scout is Friendly shows a helpful Scout fulfilling his duty in an everyday moment. As he guides the elderly couple through a city map, their young grandson looks on in quiet admiration. In quintessential Rockwell fashion, each character comes to life with extraordinarily relatable, human details.
Rockwell’s relationship with the Boy Scouts of America extended for more than six decades, during which his calendar illustrations and contributions to Boys’ Life became visual touchstones for countless American households. Notably, he accepted no royalties for these commissions, assigning all reproduction rights to the organization. It was a gesture that affirmed his deep belief in the Scouts and the virtues they instilled.
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. 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 1943
Canvas: 32 1/2" high x 21 1/2" wide (82.55 x 54.61 cm)
Frame: 45 1/2" high x 34 1/2" wide x 2 1/2" deep (115.57 x 87.63 x 6.35 cm)
Provenance:
Collection of the Boy Scouts of America
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1943, n.p., illustrated
W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, p. 136
M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, p. 222, fig. 8-22, illustrated
L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 276-77, no. A63, illustrated
J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, pp. 42-3, illustrated
1894-1978 | American
A Scout is Friendly
Signed "Norman Rockwell" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
Norman Rockwell captured the heart and soul of America in the 20th century like no other artist. This iconic work, entitled A Scout is Friendly, embodies the artist's decades-long connection to the Boy Scouts of America—a relationship that would define some of his most significant images. Rockwell believed the Scouts embodied the nation's highest values, and his narrative depictions of these young men stand among the most profound and coveted images he ever created.
Rockwell created this work for the 1943 Boy Scouts of America calendar produced by Brown & Bigelow. Rather than set in the wilderness, A Scout is Friendly shows a helpful Scout fulfilling his duty in an everyday moment. As he guides the elderly couple through a city map, their young grandson looks on in quiet admiration. In quintessential Rockwell fashion, each character comes to life with extraordinarily relatable, human details.
Rockwell’s relationship with the Boy Scouts of America extended for more than six decades, during which his calendar illustrations and contributions to Boys’ Life became visual touchstones for countless American households. Notably, he accepted no royalties for these commissions, assigning all reproduction rights to the organization. It was a gesture that affirmed his deep belief in the Scouts and the virtues they instilled.
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. 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 1943
Canvas: 32 1/2" high x 21 1/2" wide (82.55 x 54.61 cm)
Frame: 45 1/2" high x 34 1/2" wide x 2 1/2" deep (115.57 x 87.63 x 6.35 cm)
Provenance:
Collection of the Boy Scouts of America
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature:
Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1943, n.p., illustrated
W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, p. 136
M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, p. 222, fig. 8-22, illustrated
L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 276-77, no. A63, illustrated
J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, pp. 42-3, illustrated
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Specifications
| Maker: | Rockwell, Norman |
| Period: | 1919-Present |
| Origin: | America |
| Type: | Paintings |
| Style: | Modernism |
| Depth: | 2.5 in. (6.35 cm) |
| Width: | 34.5 in. (87.63 cm) |
| Height: | 45.5 in. (115.57 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 21.500 in. (54.61 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 32.500 in. (82.55 cm) |
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Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn More
