Boy Reading Sister's Diary by Norman Rockwell

March 21, 1942 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Boy Reading Sister's Diary, a Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published March 21, 1942. This is another favorite of Rockwell collectors, a classic enduring image of the world Rockwell painted.

An alternate title for this painting is Secrets.

This painting was Rockwell's 206th overall out of 322 total paintings that were published on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell's career with the Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

This was also the second cover for The Post in 1942. In 1942, there were eight Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post covers published.

The original oil on canvas painting is part of a private collection.

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

• on pages 287 and 316 of Norman Rockwell 332 Magazine Covers by Christopher Finch
• on page 41 of The Norman Rockwell Album
• as illustration 368 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner and
• on page 148 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

Pristine original copies of this magazine cover routinely sell for big bucks on eBay, when it is offered. And to think it only cost five cents originally! And it was mint condition then, too.

Boy Reading Sister's Diary

Norman Rockwell obviously had a lot of fun composing this painting.

The expression on the boy's face conveys absolute pure delight. One can just imagine Rockwell's expressive face when instructing the model to exactly the expression he wanted out of the boy.

And what boy would not take delight in finding, opening and reading his big sister's diary.

To most boys of this era, the things that Big Sis would have written about were either hilarious or disgusting. Either way would make for a great way to spend an afternoon.

It almost looks like he has decided to take several pages with him. He is holding several pages under one arm. It looks like he has stuffed some paper in his pocket. And there is one page siting in his lap. Two more pages have fallen on the floor.

Would he be planning to blackmail Big Sis? Or does he just like living dangerously?.

Norman Rockwell's Boy Reading Sister's Diary (1942)
(Image Only) Copyright © 1942 Saturday Evening Post & Curtis Publishing Company