For years, American sailors and soldiers had held a vision similar to this in their minds. They could steel themselves to endure the hardships of war because they could imagine that ultimate reward so clearly: a peaceful, golden afternoon in their own backyard.
The image was in Rockwell’s mind, too, and he’d long considered illustrating something like it when the fighting ceased. But when the war in the Pacific ended sooner than expected, he had to work quickly so the cover could appear just two weeks later.
Staging his scene tasked Rockwell’s improvisational spirit and talent for borrowing. The sailor was borrowed from Williams College, where he was attending classes before returning to naval duty. The sailor’s blouse was borrowed from a shipmate who had won those campaign ribbons. The hammock came from Mrs. Robert Smith, a neighbor.
The house and sun-drenched yard were borrowed from another neighbor, Vic Yalo. The dog was on loan from Rockwell’s son Tommy.
Rockwell made his own loan to the scene, too: those civilian shoes on the ground without a military shine. The cigarettes were another matter. Rockwell was an inveterate pipe smoker and he couldn’t find anyone with a pack to lend.
In the end, he had to paint them from memory.
This article is featured in the July/August 2021 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
Featured image: Norman Rockwell / © SEPS
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Comments
Even though this cover came out ‘Rockwell great’, it was no thanks to circumstances beyond his (or the Post’s) control at the time. Fortunately he already had his vision for it in mind, and the right resources he needed to come together quickly to pull it off without any hitches, given such short notice.
The irony is that it was anything but the relaxed image portrayed here, behind the scenes. The Post has done many features and videos on the various time consuming efforts Rockwell had to go through in creating his covers. And yet the folklore he painted EVERY LAST POST COVER when it was a WEEKLY, still persists to this day. Of course, so does the notion of Santa Claus delivering every last Christmas present to every child, down every last chimney. Adults that believe the first, probably still believe the second. Jiminy Christmas people, seriously?