Christmas Homecoming by Norman Rockwell

December 25, 1948 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Norman Rockwell's Christmas Homecoming appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published December 25, 1948.

The original oil on canvas painting, 35.5 x 33.5 inches or 90 x 85 cm, is currently part of the collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum of Stockbridge Massachusetts.

This painting was Rockwell's 257th overall of 322 total pictures featured on the cover of The 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 seventh Rockwell cover in 1948. The Post featured a Rockwell illustration on its cover seven times in 1948.

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

• as illustration 451 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner and
• on page 180 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

The original cover list price was still just fifteen cents.

Christmas Homecoming

Here is another famous Norman Rockwell Christmas illustration.

The painting could actually almost be called Rockwell Family Homecoming, because the whole family appears in the painting.

This painting shows Rockwell's son Jarvis, or Jerry as he was called by the family, coming home from college for Christmas holiday.

Jarvis is being given a great big motherly hug by his mother, Mary Barstow Rockwell.

On the next row back in the crowd of spectators, on the left, is Rockwell's son, Thomas, or Tommy. On the far left side of the painting, wearing glasses is Peter Rockwell, Norman and Mary's youngest son.

Of course, to the right of Jarvis, smoking his trademark pipe tobacco, is the artist himself, Norman Rockwell.

In the upper left corner is fellow Post illustrator and good friend of Rockwell, Mead Schaeffer. In front of Schaeffer is Grandma Moses.

The redhead behind Peter is Mead Schaeffer's daughter, Patty. The blonde between Jarvis and Norman is Schaeffer's other daughter, Lee. Both daughters appear together in another painting, Willie Gillis: Girls with Letters from 1942. Patty also appeared as Willie Gillis's girlfriend in 1944 in Willie Gillis: New Year's Eve.

The girl smiling and waving directly behind Mary is Mary Atherton, the daughter of another illustrator friend of Rockwell's Jack Atherton.

In the back right corner, we can catch a glimpse of the Rockwell's Christmas tree.

The theme of reuniting with family and friends during the holidays is a familiar one to almost everybody.Certianly seeing loved ones that have been missed is the best Christmas present one can receive.

Merry Christmas!