Norman Rockwell is one of the most beloved American painters in history, and his original works – paintings, studies, sketches, and illustration art – are among the most sought-after items in the American art market. If you believe you have an original Rockwell work, Central Mass Auctions can help you understand what you have and connect you with serious buyers.
Rockwell has an especially deep connection to Massachusetts. He lived in Stockbridge, MA for the last 25 years of his life, and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge holds the largest collection of his work in the world. That regional connection means New England estates occasionally surface original Rockwell works, studies, sketches, and related material, and it means buyers in our market have a particular affinity for his work.
What Rockwell works are valuable at auction?
Original oil paintings are the crown jewels of the market. Rockwell produced hundreds of original paintings for The Saturday Evening Post and other publications, and those originals when they surface sell for millions. “Saying Grace” sold for $46 million in 2013. “The Rookie (Red Sox Locker Room)” sold for over $22 million in 2014. Even lesser-known Rockwell originals routinely sell for $1 million or more.
Preliminary studies and sketches are more accessible but still valuable. Rockwell often produced detailed charcoal studies and oil sketches before completing a final painting, and those preparatory works can sell for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Saturday Evening Post cover art – the actual painted illustrations used for covers – occasionally comes to auction and generates fierce bidding.
Signed prints and lithographs have their own market, though values vary significantly depending on edition size, condition, and signature authenticity.
Illustration board and original drawings related to advertisements, calendar art, and book illustrations are also collected.
How do I know if a Rockwell work is authentic?
Authentication is everything with Rockwell. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge maintains scholarship on his work, and major auction houses use specialized experts to authenticate significant pieces. If you believe you have an original Rockwell, don’t sell it without a professional appraisal first. We can advise you on authentication resources and work with you through the process.
We also handle related areas of American illustration art. If you have work by other prominent American illustrators of the 20th century, we’d like to see that too. Our art auctions and oil painting auctions pages give you a sense of the broader American art market we work in.
See also: Art Auctions | Oil Painting Auctions | Historical Memorabilia Auctions | Massachusetts Historical Memorabilia | Folk Art Auctions
Call Central Mass Auctions at 508-612-6111 or email us.
