Cellist and Little Girl Dancing by Norman Rockwell

February 3, 1923 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Cellist and Little Girl Dancing, a Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published February 3, 1923. This is another of Rockwell's timeless classic Americana paintings.

The official title for this illustration is Cellist and Little Girl Dancing, but I have also heard it referred to as Grandpa's Little Ballerina, so that is why I named this article with the more popular alternate title. Other alternate titles for this painting include Little Spooners, First Love and Sunset.

This painting was Rockwell's first cover for The Post in 1923. In 1923, there were nine Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post covers published.

This was also Rockwell's 54th cover illustration out of 322 Rockwell painted for the Post. Rockwell's career painting covers for the Post spanned 47 years, starting with his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

The location of the original oil on canvas painting, measuring 28 x 24 inches or 71.12 x 61 cm, is unknown.

This painting also appears in Rockwell commentary books. It appears:

• on pages 123 and 131 of Norman Rockwell 332 Magazine Covers by Christopher Finch,
• on page 33 of The Norman Rockwell Album,
• as illustration 195 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner and
• on page 92 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt, along with a pencil on paper a study as well.

I have seen pristine original copies of this magazine cover sell for well over one hundred dollars on eBay. And to think it only cost "5c THE COPY" originally! And it was mint condition then, too.

Cellist and Little Girl Dancing

In this painting, the cellist Grandfather, modeled by Pop Fredericks, is playing the cello for a little girl, presumably his granddaughter.

We do not know what tune he is playing, but apparently this little girl likes his playing and the tune enough to dance to it.

The dance does not look like ballet, so the title Grandpa's Little Ballerina may not be entirely fitting.

The cello, or more properly violoncello, is a four stringed instrument played by dragging a bow acress the strings. Pizzicato is the method of playing by plucking the strings. Grandpa is playing in the traditional method using right hand technique. He may pluck out the next song if his audience remains enraptured.

The little girl's pose and dance are cute, She is holding her dress like she has seen the ladies do when they are dancing. Of course, they are trying to keep their dresses out of the way and her dress is really not long enough for that to be necessary. Her dress will be long enough one day and it's best to practice and be ready.