Property from the Collection of Mr. Donald Lee McKinney
Lot 40
Norman Rockwell(American, 1894-1978)Portrait of Adlai Stevenson 16 1/4 x 12 3/4in
20 May 2015, 14:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$30,000 inc. premium
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Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)
Portrait of Adlai Stevenson
signed 'Norman / Rockwell' (lower right)
charcoal on paper
16 1/4 x 12 3/4in
signed 'Norman / Rockwell' (lower right)
charcoal on paper
16 1/4 x 12 3/4in
Footnotes
Provenance
Donald Lee McKinney.
Estate of the above.
The present work is a study for a final oil painting that was used as the cover illustration for the Saturday Evening Post on October 6, 1956. Donald Lee McKinney, the original owner of this work, was an editor for the Saturday Evening Post and McCalls Magazine.
Born into a political family, Adlai E. Stevenson (1900-1965) was the grandson of Adlai Stevenson, former President Grover Cleveland's second vice president and great-grandson of former President Abraham Lincoln's campaign manager Jesse Fell. Known for his eloquence and moderate liberal views, Stevenson ran for the presidency three times, successfully getting his parties nod in 1952 and 1956 but ultimately losing on both occasions to former President Dwight Eisenhower. During his lifetime, he also served as Governor of Illinois and Ambassador to the United Nations under both Kennedy and Johnson. His son, Adlai Stevenson III was also a prominent politician representing the state of Illinois as a congressman and later as a senator.
Norman Rockwell portrayed Stevenson shortly before the 1956 election for the cover of the October 6th issue of the Saturday Evening Post. This drawing, rendered in charcoal, was most likely the preliminary study done from life. It would later serve as the foundation for the oil that was submitted as the cover art. Rockwell was able to sketch Stevenson at the candidate's farm during a break in the campaign and he is said to have characterized the politician as "amiable, kind, unpretentious and quietly charming." In order to give equal exposure to both candidates, Rockwell rendered Eisenhower for the cover of the Post the following week.