Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978) Breakthrough for Freedom, 1967 Oil on canvas 23 x 18-1/8 inches (58.4 x 46.0 cm) Signed lower right: Norman / Rockwell Property from the BSA Settlement Trust, Sold for the Benefit of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse LITERATURE: Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1967, n.p., illustrated; W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, pp. 122-23, illustrated; M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, p. 229, fig. 8-51, illustrated; L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 288-89, no. A88, illustrated; J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, pp. 90-91, illustrated. In Breakthrough for Freedom, Rockwell presents Scouting as a model for international understanding. . Scouts of different backgrounds advance together beneath an array of national flags, shoulder to shoulder and arm in arm. Their synchronized stride and easy camaraderie convey a shared purpose, presenting cooperation across national and racial differences as a foundation for peace. The date gives this message particular urgency. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Cold War tensions, and America's continuing struggle for civil rights, Rockwell's vision of fellowship carried implications beyond Scouting. It also belongs to a period when social justice became increasingly explicit in his work. His illustrations for Look, including The Problem We All Live With (1964) and New Kids in the Neighborhood (1967), confronted racial exclusion and affirmed the dignity of those challenging it. Here, Rockwell approaches these concerns through an affirmative image of young people acting together. Freedom becomes a shared responsibility, sustained by mutual respect rather than limited by difference. The painting's continuing relevance lies in that proposition: peace depends upon recognizing a common humanity across the boundaries that divide us. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Discolored varnish. A few isolated spots of craquelure and slight stretcher bar marks. Frame abrasion along edges. Tacking edges covered in tape and publisher's writing. Under UV examination: a few small spots of possible inpainting in line of flags.
Framed Dimensions 33.75 X 28.625 Inches