The Reading Hour by Norman Rockwell

March 25, 1922 Issue of The Literary Digest

The Reading Hour, this Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Literary Digest published March 25, 1922.

The alternate title for this work is Little Girl Reading to Grandfather.

This illustration was Rockwell's thirty-fifth picture featured on the cover of The Literary Digest.

Starting with his first cover illustration in 1918, Boy Showing Off Badges to the last, The Night Before Christmas in 1923, Norman Rockwell artwork was published on The Literary Digest cover forty-seven times in all.

The Digest featured Rockwell artwork on the cover nine times total in 1922 alone.

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

• as illlustration 175 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner
• as illustration 158 of Norman Rockwell's America by Christopher Finch and
• on page 61 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

The original oil on canvas painting, 31.5 x 27.5 inches or 80 x 70 cm, is part of a private collection.

The Reading Hour

With this painting, Norman Rockwell visually takes us back to time spent with grandparents or grandchildren.

Sitting by the fire, Grandfather listens quietly to his granddaughter intently reading out loud. He has a kindly smile on his face. Is he smiling at the story or at the reading of it?

His dog lies calmly beside the chair. The dog is enjoying the fire and the company. It is possible that the dog is also enjoying the story.

Grandfather has lots of books on his fireplace mantle. They're visible in the background. His pride in his granddaughter's reading is obvious. This is clearly a family of readers.

During this era, children had to entertain themselves. Reading was just one method, but it was no doubt the most rewarding intellectually.

Both Granddaughter and Grandfather were enriched by this time together.

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