"Sailor and Girlfriend (The Voyager), Cover for The Saturday Evening Post, N" Lot no. 4866
By Norman Rockwell (1894-1978)
1930
35" x 28", Framed 44" x 37"
Oil on Canvas
Signed Lower Right
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Original cover for The Saturday Evening Post, published November 8, 1930
First published on the cover of the November 8, 1930, issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell’s Sailor and Girlfriend (The Voyager) is a masterful example of the fantasy and period illustrations he produced during the Great Depression.
The composition centers on a young woman listening to a sailor spinning tales of his adventures on the high seas. Framed against a backdrop of docked sailing ships, the sailor exudes a relaxed, worldly confidence as he leans casually against the back of the stone bench, turning toward his companion. He gestures toward the horizon with one hand as he holds a pipe in the other, a green parrot perched on his arm.
In contrast to the sailor’s ease, the young woman’s posture is rigid and her expression enigmatic. Wearing a ribbon-accented pink dress and matching bonnet, she sits perfectly upright clutching a small book in her lap. Her distant stare implies an air of psychological distance between the two figures despite their physical proximity. Rather than listening with fascination, she appears mildly irritated, or at the very least, uncertain as to how far she should trust his intentions. Perhaps she is wary of growing too close, knowing the packed bundle at his feet means he will soon return to the open seas. Voyager (Yarn Spinner) stands as an example of Rockwell’s ability to weave complex psychological dynamics into a single image.
Published almost exactly one year after the devastating stock market crash of October 1929, this painting marked the first of three consecutive “period” covers for the artist. Rockwell likely sensed that the public would welcome a distraction or escape from the harsh realities of contemporary life.
Elizabeth Kelly-Allison modeled for the young woman pictured here, along with other celebrated Post covers, such as Hayseed Critic, Wet Paint, She's My Baby, The Hikers, and more.
From 1916 to 1963, Rockwell contributed 321 unique covers to The Saturday Evening Post, one of the country’s most popular and widely circulated publications. It is through his relationship with the Post, a publication he once called the “greatest shop window in America,” that Rockwell earned his reputation as America’s preeminent illustrator.
Provenance:
Bernard Danenberg Galleries, NewYork.
Mort Kunstler.
Hammer Gallery, New York.
Private collection, acquired circa 1990s.
Private collection, by descent.
The Illustrated Gallery, Ambler, Pennsylvania, acquired 2026.
Literature:
Saturday Evening Post, November 8, 1930, cover illustration.
A.L. Guptill, Norman Rockwell: Illustrator, New York, 1970, p. 170, illustrated.
T. Buechner, Norman Rockwell: Artist & Illustrator, New York, 1970, p. 262, illustrated.
C. Finch, Norman Rockwell's America, New York, 1975, pp. 91, 284, fig. 102, illustrated (as The
Yarn Spinner).
C. Finch, Norman Rockwell: 332 Magazine Covers, New York, 1979, p. 155, illustrated (as The
Yarn Spinner).
L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts,
1986, p. 119, no. C319, illustrated (as Sailor and Girlfriend (The Voyager)).
J. Cohn, Covers of the Saturday Evening Post, New York, 1995, p. 143, illustrated.
J.G. Cutler, L.S. Cutler, Norman Rockwell's America...In England, exhibition catalogue, Newport,
Rhode Island, 2010, p. 180, illustrated.
J.G. Cutler, L.S. Cutler, Norman Ro
Video of Sailor and Girlfriend
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
The pictures of Norman Perceval Rockwell (1894-1978) were recognized and enjoyed by almost everybody in America. The cover of The Saturday Evening Post was his showcase for over forty years, giving him an audience larger than that of any other artist in history. Over the years, he depicted there a unique collection of Americana, a series of vignettes of remarkable warmth and humor. In addition, he painted a great number of pictures for story illustrations, advertising campaigns, posters, calendars and books.
As his personal contribution during World War II, Rockwell painted the famous “Four Freedoms” posters, symbolizing for millions the war aims as described by President Franklin Roosevelt. One version of his “Freedom of Speech” painting is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Rockwell left high school to attend classes at the National Academy of Design, and later studied under Thomas Fogarty and George Bridgeman at the Art Students League in New York. His two greatest influences were the completely opposite titans Howard Pyle and J.C Leyendecker.
His early illustrations were done for St. Nicholas magazine and other juvenile publications. He sold his first cover painting to the Post in 1916, and ended up doing over 300 more. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson sat for him for portraits, and he painted other world figures, including Nassar of Egypt and Nehru of India.
An important museum has been established in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he maintained his studio. Each year, tens of thousands visit the largest collection of his original paintings extant.