Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978) A Good Scout, 1918 Oil on canvas 30 x 22 inches (76.2 x 55.9 cm) Signed lower right: Norman / Rockwell Property from the BSA Settlement Trust, Sold for the Benefit of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse EXHIBITED: Norton Gallery and School of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, "Norman Rockwell's America," February 21-March 14, 1976. LITERATURE: "Boys Will Be Men: Four Boy Scout Paintings by Norman Rockwell," The Red Cross Magazine, New York, November 1918, Vol. 13, p. 33, illustrated (as A Red Cross Man In The Making); Boy Scouts of America Calendar, Brown & Bigelow Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1925, n.p., illustrated; W. Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting, New York, 1977, pp. 90-92, 95, illustrated; M. Moline, Norman Rockwell Encyclopedia, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, pp. 109, 217, figs. 2-42B, 8-2, illustrated; L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 270-71, no. A46, illustrated; L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. II, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, p. 735, no. S465, illustrated (as A Scout is Kind (Boy Bandaging Dog's Foot)); J. Csatari, Norman Rockwell's Boy Scouts of America, New York, 2009, p. 21, illustrated. Painted in 1918, just two years after his first cover for The Saturday Evening Post, A Good Scout captures Rockwell at an exciting early point in his career. Still in his early twenties, he already understood how a few telling details could make a simple scene memorable. A Scout kneels on the floor, preparing a bandage for a puppy seated on a red cushion. The larger dog leans forward to watch, its concern as evident as the boy's concentration. With his face largely hidden beneath his hat, we understand the Scout through his actions: he has a patient to care for, and he takes the responsibility seriously. The deep browns, muted olive uniform, and shadowed interior give this early work a different character from the brighter imagery often associated with Rockwell. Against that darker palette, the blue neckerchief, red cushion, and white bandage draw attention to the tender scene. A stove glows in the background; scissors, a basin, and strips of cloth lie within reach. The bowl and scattered bones add a particularly sweet touch to this makeshift veterinary station. Originally published in The Red Cross Magazine as A Red Cross Man in the Making, the painting later appeared on Brown & Bigelow's first Boy Scout calendar in 1925, giving it a significant place in Rockwell's long association with Scouting. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Norton Gallery and School of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, "Norman Rockwell's America," February 21-March 14, 1976.

Lined. Under UV examination: varnish fluoresces unevenly; scattered fine lines and dashes of minor inpainting in the lower register.
Framed Dimensions 34 X 26 Inches