Norman Rockwell 1894 - 1978

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Stuart, Sr. (gift from the artist)
By descent to the present owners

Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, vol. I, no. C470a, p. 197, illustrated

This work is executed in oil on a photograph, mounted to a board and framed with a mat, all of which is the artist's original preparation and cannot readily be removed. An area of the photograph concentrated in the upper half of the figure's reflection has lifted from the board. Under UV: there is a 1-inch area in the lower left corner that differs in color from the rest of the background, which appears to be inherent to the painting, but could possibly indicate conservation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Images of children held a central place in Norman Rockwell’s oeuvre from the beginning of his career. Although upon his move to Arlington, Vermont Rockwell would increasingly utilize adult models, the artist gravitated towards depicting children for the authenticity he felt they naturally evoked. Along with “small town folk,” Rockwell believed that children were “the best characters to use in telling a human story in pictures because in real life they express their emotions naturally” (Karal Ann Marling, Norman Rockwell, New York, 1997, p. 29). Perhaps because of this degree of genuineness, many of his scenes featuring children, including Girl at Mirror, endure today as his most popular covers for The Saturday Evening Post.

The present work is a color study for Rockwell’s beloved 1954 Post cover, Girl at Mirror. The image has been called the feminine counterpart to Breaking Home Ties, which the artist executed in the same year. Just as Breaking Home Ties depicts a young man poised to begin a new stage in his adult life, Girl at Mirror also thematically explores the end of childhood, and the complex range of emotions this natural transition evokes.

Girl at Mirror prominently features Mary Whalen, one of Rockwell’s favorite models, who he used frequently during this period in his career (Fig. 1). Rockwell loved to paint Whalen, who he felt was among his most animated subjects. The artist later recalled his preference for Whalen, calling her “the best little-girl model I ever had. She could assume any expression I requested: sad, merry, joyful, wistful, disdainful. Her body was as expressive as her face” (The Norman Rockwell Album, Garden City, New York, 1961, p. 138).

In the present work, Rockwell poses Whalen on a low stool before a mirror. She intently observes and considers her reflection, her arms firmly planted across her chest and cupped under her chin. As in the final version, relics of her childhood as well as symbols of her impending adolescence lie scattered across the floor at her feet. Ever the perfectionist, Rockwell made several compositional changes in between the execution of this color study and the final oil painting. In the final version, Rockwell changed the position of the doll slightly, rendering it askew on the floor rather than sitting upright, perhaps to further emphasize the idea that the young girl has disregarded it as she leaves her childhood behind. The artist would also eventually add an open tube of lipstick and a can of powder to the collection of objects that now clearly capture Whalen’s interest.

Color Study for "Girl at Mirror" also omits the headshot of Jane Russell in Whalen’s lap that would appear in the final version. Rockwell eventually regretted his decision to incorporate this detail saying “I should not have added the photograph of the movie star. The little girl is not wondering if she looks like the star but trying to estimate her own charms” (Karal Ann Marling, Norman Rockwell, New York, 1997, p. 44). The present work, however, is likely one of the last versions of the composition Rockwell completed and it displays the same sense of hesitant contemplation Rockwell ultimately decided was the best way to visually communicate his message. In both versions, Whalen’s pose seems to suggest apprehension, capturing the moment she unexpectedly and somewhat fearfully comprehends that adulthood is upon her. Like Breaking Home Ties, Girl at Mirror beautifully demonstrates Rockwell’s ability to accurately portray the emotional complexities inherent to life’s most profound experiences.