Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978) Study for We Thank Thee, O'Lord, 1972 Oil on canvas laid on board with acetate overlay 11-1/2 x 9-3/4 inches (29.2 x 24.8 cm) Initialed lower right: N / R Inscribed on fragment affixed to the mat: very rough sketch Property from the BSA Settlement Trust, Sold for the Benefit of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse LITERATURE: W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, p. 106, illustrated; L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, p. 294-95, no. A96a, illustrated. Norman Rockwell's We Thank Thee, O' Lord stands among the most deeply felt of his Boy Scouts of America images, capturing with profound sincerity the reverence, humility, and fellowship at the heart of the Scouting experience. Heritage Auctions had the privilege of offering the final painting in November 2025, where it realized $462,500 (fig. 1). In this preparatory study, Rockwell's expression of the theme exists on a much smaller scale, and serves as working model demonstrating how the artist arranged the final composition. On a fragment from a previous mounting, Rockwell himself describes the work as "a very rough sketch." This intimate work still reveals the basic compositional structure that would be expanded into his final painting which was published in Brown & Bigelow's Boy Scouts of America Calendar of 1974—the same familiar group of young scouts appears gathered around their makeshift, campsite dinner table, sheltered beneath a yellow tent. Few works in Rockwell's long collaboration with the Boy Scouts so perfectly capture the union of faith, fellowship, and quiet dignity that defines the spirit of America. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Acetate overlay is affixed to the board with clear tape along the upper margin. Some slight undulations to acetate overlay. Glue remnants along the extreme outer edges of the canvas. Under UV examination: no apparent retouching. Matted with fragment of artist’s original inscription.
Framed Dimensions 19.5 X 17.5 Inches