"Highway Boat Ride, Post Cover" Lot no. 4741
By George Hughes (1907-1990)
1962
28" x 22", Framed 36" x 30"
Oil on Board
Signed Lower Left
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Cover of The Saturday Evening Post Magazine, July 14-July 21, 1962
This 1962 Post cover by George Hughes evokes the carefree spirit of summer road trips. While modern safety regulations would likely prohibit this scenario of children riding in a boat being towed along an open road, the image captures a nostalgic sense of adventure. Dad navigates the station wagon, while mom looks back at her windswept children and pet enjoying the ride. The young boy, mimicking his father, "drives" the towed boat, his small stature adding a touch of humor as he peeks through the steering wheel. This charming scene suggests a future where the boy will soon be driving his own car to the beach, with picnic, floaties, and family in tow.
The Post States: We don't recommend piling kids into boats on the open road-but when sand and sea arc in sight, who can resist giving a lad his turn at the helm? Not to change the subject- safety- we would point out that launchtime and lunchtime seem on a collision course in this George Hughes scene. Will the boat get into the water before little hands get into the picnic basket?
Copy of magazine attached to the back
Explore related art collections: 1960s / Family / Automotive/Transport / Beach/Summer / Saturday Evening Post Covers / Humor / $50,000-$100,000 / Boating/Nautical
See all original artwork by George Hughes
ABOUT THE ARTIST
A native New Yorker, George Hughes studied at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. Some of his early work included fashion drawing, and there was a stint as a special designer in the automobile field in Detroit.
For many years, Hughes was one of the most prolific painters of Saturday Evening Post covers; in addition, he painted many editorial illustrations for the Post and other publications, including McCall’s, Woman’s Day, American Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Cosmopolitan magazines.
Hughes was one of the originators and masters of the “sitcom” magazine cover, and through his efforts, readers would spend minutes rather than seconds looking at the covers.
Also a painter, he exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Detroit Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In recent years he restricted his work to portraiture.