Norman Rockwell 1894 - 1978

The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1961 (commissioned from the artist)
Acquired by the present owner, 2003

Stockbridge, Massachusetts, The Picture of Health: Norman Rockwell Paintings, November 2003-May 2004, p. 25, illustrated in color p. 24 
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Norman Rockwell Museum; Old Lyme, Connecticut, Florence Griswold Museum; Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo Institute of Art; Mobile, Alabama, Mobile Museum of Art; Fredericksburg, Virginia, Gari Melchers Home and Studio; El Paso, Texas, El Paso Museum of Art; Sandwich, Massachusetts, Heritage Museum and Gardens, Picturing Health: Norman Rockwell and the Art of Illustration, January 2007-September 2012
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Norman Rockwell Museum, July-September 2009, November 2010-June 2011, February-April 2012 (on loan)
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Norman Rockwell Museum, It's a Dog's Life: Norman Rockwell and Man's Best Friend, June-September 2011

Laurie Norton Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, vol. I, no. A832, p. 570

This painting is in good condition. Lined. Under UV: there is inpainting along the four extreme edges likely to address frame abrasion. There are two spots of inpainting along the top of the diploma frame, and a few scattered dots and dashes of inpainting in the left shoulder, front left leg, left eye and snout of the dog.
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.
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In 1956, Upjohn commissioned Norman Rockwell to create an image advertising its new line of veterinary products. Seeking to associate itself with the modern, scientific approach to animal medicine, Upjohn requested that the image project a sense of youthfulness and playfulness. Always attuned to his patrons' wants and needs, Rockwell suggested a scene of "a young, intelligent veterinary perhaps looking down a very cute dog's throat. The dog being held by its loving master" (quoted in The Picture of Health: Norman Rockwell Paintings, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 2003, p. 25).

Numerous additional projects and commissions prevented Rockwell from sending the completed work to Upjohn until 1961. The image he ultimately produced brilliantly displays the company's desired message, thus demonstrating Rockwell's unparalleled gift for storytelling. The Veterinarian, however, additionally showcases the artist's superb skills as a draftsman. The compositional design is perfectly balanced, and contains a myriad of textures and surfaces through which he reveals his impressive handling of the oil medium.