Norman Rockwell work sets auction record for American painting

Reuters ^ | 12/04/2013 | Staff

[Utah Binger]

Norman Rockwell's "Saying Grace" sold on Wednesday for more than $46 million, double its high pre-sale estimate, setting a new auction record for an American painting, Sotheby's said.

"Saying Grace," which shows a Mennonite family praying at a restaurant, was voted the favorite cover by readers of the American magazine The Saturday Evening Post when it was published in 1951.

The previous auction record for an American painting was for "Polo Crowd" by George Bellows, which sold for $27.7 million in 1999.

"This is just a wonderful result for American art and for Rockwell," Elizabeth Goldberg, the head of Sotheby's American Art department, said in an interview.

"It is largely considered one of his great masterpieces," she added.

[Moonman62]

The detail in that painting is awesome as are alll Rockwell paintings.

That's because Rockwell was an illustrator who worked from photographs and did a lot of tracing.

He was doing Photoshop before there was Photoshop.

[Moonman62]

All the big money is out there buying art. The very best place to preserve and conserve assets.

Doesn't Big Money buy art for tax avoidance strategies, too?

[Utah Binger]

It is important that individuals establish their involvement with museums and non-profits as a means of certain proof of such. We try not to advise people regarding tax avoidance, however as a 501(c)3 we are certainly qualified to accept artwork that might be to the donors benefit for write-off. We in turn use these donations for fundraising.

It seems that art held for at least ten years performs well. In our case now after 40 years in the business it has been enjoyable.

Check This Out

[Salvation]

So do you and your family bow your heads and pray before eating a meal in a restaurant?

Catholics are the only ones I have seen do it.

[RegulatorCountry]

You need to get out of the northeast once in a while.

[turducken]

That is a masterpiece

[Hot Tabasco]

By looking at the painting how do we know that they are Mennonites?

That's a good question. I always thought they were against smoking and drinking and all that stuff. The two grown boys are smoking.....

[Hot Tabasco]

Catholics are the only ones I have seen do it.

Well they're not because I attended a hunting trip with a friend who is a Baptist and he prayed before every meal in the restaurants we ate in......

[RegulatorCountry]

They’re sharing a table in a crowded restaurant. The grandmother and grandson praying are together. The two grown men at the same table are not with them and are sort of dumbfounded by their praying. The whole restaurant seems sort of sheepish about it.

[mollynme]

Catholics are the only ones I have seen do it.
Maybe we just see what we expect to see. My family (Protestant) has prayed in restaurants for years and notice when anyone else does it. I have never seen anyone cross themselves after saying grace.

[xone]

When I was a kid the 12 of us would pray the few times we ate out. By the Grace of God we weren't Catholics. Plenty of Christians pray before meals while eating out as well as at home.

Catholics are the only ones I have seen do it.

How do you know they were Catholic, they mention Mary? Or are all praying people Catholic?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Sign of the Cross, I would guess. If they do it left to right, Catholic. Right to left would be Orthodox.

Kippa would be Jewish.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Yes, indeed!

[Rockpile]

I was in a doctor’s office yesterday. Regarding a “ modern art” painting on the wall I told the staff-—— “ My grandkids used to make paintings just like that”.

[xone]

Sign of the Cross

I have many non-Catholic friends who do the sign of the cross after prayer and any reference to the full Trinity.

[Utah Binger]

How about 142 million for this one? By Francis Bacon (1909 - 1992) Three Studies of Lucian Freud

[Mrs. Don-o]

Now, this is new and interesting to me! Would you tell me more about where they're at, religiously? Anglicans or high-church Lutherans or something? Right-to-left or left-to-right?

Always trying to broaden by perspective.

`

[RGVTx]

I am Baptist, last prayed in a restaurant November 26, 2013.

[xone]

Ex-ELCAns. As to r-l or l-r never paid any attention.

[Utah Binger]

At Christies this Hopper brought 41.5 mil yesterday

,