Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978) Study for After the Prom, The Saturday Evening Post cover, May 25, 1957 Mixed media on paper 31-1/8 x 29-1/8 inches (79.1 x 74.0 cm) (sheet) Signed and inscribed lower right: To Harold Magee, best wishes / sincerely / Norman Rockwell PROVENANCE: The artist; Harold Magee, gift from the above; Lahaina Galleries, Maui, Hawaii; Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1989. LITERATURE: R. Schick, Norman Rockwell, Behind the Camera, New York, 2009, pp. 184-85, illustrated. The present work is a study for the oil painting After the Prom illustrated in L.N. Moffatt, Norman Rockwell: A Definitive Catalogue, Vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, pp. 213, no. C.483. It appears in an archival reference photograph in the Norman Rockwell Museum's Digital Collection and online catalogue raisonné as entry number 37027. This lot is accompanied by a framed copy of The Saturday Evening Post featuring the final version of the present work on its cover. In this study for After the Prom, Norman Rockwell transforms a simple stop at a diner into a tender portrait of youth on the threshold of adulthood. Still dressed in their formal attire, a young couple share their excitement with the attendant, who leans across the counter to smell the girl's corsage. The finished painting appeared on the May 25, 1957, cover of The Saturday Evening Post, bringing this intimate moment to a national audience. Now in the collection of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, the final painting ranks among Rockwell's most recognizable images. The present study reveals the careful arrangement of gestures, expressions, and poses through which he gave this seemingly ordinary encounter its emotional significance. The scene is organized around the exchange between the girl and the attendant, while her date looks on. Their attention draws the viewer toward the corsage, a small accessory that becomes the focus of the story. The girl's full skirt and the young man's light jacket stand out against their darker surroundings, giving the couple a visual prominence appropriate to their special evening. The strong horizontal line of the counter anchors the arrangement, while the attendant's forward movement connects the figures across it. At the left, another patron watches the couple with a knowing smile, perhaps recalling the excitement of a similar evening from his youth. His presence adds a note of nostalgia, connecting the couple's unfolding experience with the memories of an older generation. For all its apparent spontaneity, the encounter was carefully staged. Rockwell constructed the setting in his Stockbridge studio, borrowing two stools from a diner to lend authenticity to the scene. The attendant himself was a composite: Rockwell initially photographed his friend David Loveless in the role, but found that his expression did not quite convey the humor he wanted. He retained the positioning of Loveless's arms while substituting the face of his assistant, Louie Lamone. Such adjustments reveal how deliberately Rockwell shaped even the smallest details of his narratives. The present study offers insight into the preparation underlying that storytelling. Before undertaking a finished painting, Rockwell developed his compositions through sketches, staged photographs, and detailed drawings. Here, broad passages of shading and visible contours allow the viewer to follow the relationships between the figures and their setting. The contrast between light and dark guides the eye through the composition, demonstrating how fully the scene's emotional character emerges in the study alone. The drawing invites close attention to the decisions that make the encounter feel natural: the placement of a hand, the inclination of a head, and the distance between figures. The image's continued relevance is also evident in later artistic reinterpretations. Maurice "Pops" Peterson, whose work revisits Rockwell's imagery for a contemporary audience, took After the Prom as the inspiration for Pride and Joy (2020). Such responses suggest that Rockwell's compositions remain a compelling starting point for artists exploring love, community, and belonging. The contrast between the couple's formal clothes and the everyday setting suggests a moment of transition. Dressed for an adult social occasion, the teenagers bring the importance of their evening into a familiar public space. The scene can be read as an affectionate vision of growing up, supported by the interest of the surrounding adults. Through this modest encounter, Rockwell gives an ordinary stop after the prom the emotional weight of a remembered milestone. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

The artist; Harold Magee, gift of the above; Lahaina Galleries, Maui, Hawaii; Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1989.

The sheet is toned. There are artist’s pinholes along the extreme outer edges and a corresponding small loss to the extreme right corner, outside of the image. The sheet is hinged to its mat in two places along the upper reverse edge. Undulation to sheet
Framed Dimensions 46.5 X 44.5 Inches