Lion and Zookeeper by Norman Rockwell

January 9, 1954 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Lion and Zookeeper, a Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published January 9, 1954. This is another timeless favorite of Rockwell collectors, a classic for all the ages.

This painting was Rockwell's 279th 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 first cover for The Post in 1954. In 1954, there were six Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post covers published.

The original oil on canvas painting, 11 x 10.5 inches or 28 x 26 cm, is part of a private collection.

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

• on page 137 of The Norman Rockwell Album,
• as illustration 21 of Norman Rockwell's America by Christopher Finch,
• as illustration 479 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner and
• on page 196 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

One study also appears in the Norman Rockwell Catalogue on page 196.

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

Lion and Zookeeper

This is one of those classic Norman Rockwell images that just makes you smile.

That poor lion! He can only watch as the zookeeper eats his lunch.

That sandwich is abslutely dripping with meat. Part of it looks like it might actually fall out of the sandwich.

The zookeeper, for his part, is unaware of the lion's desires to taste his lunch.

He is intent on reading his newspaper and drinking his coffee.

The story is told that Rockwell wanted the lion to be more desireous of the zookeeper's lunch.

However the lion had just been fed a short while before Rockwell and his photographer's arrival.

The funny thing is that Rockwell tried to arouse the lion kore by roaring at him. He left that day with a sore throat. He couldn't affect the lion's demeanor.

Norman Rockwell's Lion and Zookeeper (1954)
(Image Only) Copyright © 1954 Saturday Evening Post & Curtis Publishing Company