C2301

Norman Rockwell

Painter and Illustrator - Self Portrait

Collins Cover Announcement

NORMAN ROCKWELL

29-Cent Self-Portrait Stamp

Norman Rockwell was born in 1894 in New York City and this 1994 stamp commemorates the 100th Anniversary of his birth. The stamp features his "triple self-portrait" which appeared on a "Saturday Evening Post" cover in 1960. In it, Rockwell painted himself seated in his studio studying his reflection in a mirror and painting his own portrait on canvas. Hence the "triple" self-portrait.

I thought it would be fun to carry this theme forward on a COLLINS cachet for this stamp so I, too, feature Norman painting his own portrait using as his references earlier completed self-sketches and also a small assembly of other person portraits. It's a most unusual and appealing cachet for this great American artist.

Rockwell is best known for his 300-plus covers for the "Saturday Evening Post" magazine. His works depicted common people doing common things and his style and content captured the mood of post World War II America. I love his paintings and feel that they captured a combination of the way we were, the way we wished to be, and the way we thought we were. There was and always will be so much good in Norman Rockwell's America. He celebrated in his paintings the everyday life of the United States.

This makes a good companion cover for "The Four Freedoms" issued on the same day. It certainly is something a little out of the ordinary from the usual COLLINS cachet format. A great American artist paints himself on a hand-painted FDC depicting him doing it. Simple and direct as was Norman Rockwell. Item #C2301. $10.75.