The Connoisseur, 1962 by Norman Rockwell - Paper Print - Norman Rockwell Museum

About the Artwork

Saturday Evening Post cover January 13, 1962.

In 1961, Rockwell's studio was temporarily transformed into an abstract expressionist's workplace as he painted The Connoisseur, a painting about the relationship between conventional and modern art. Always fascinated by modern and abstract art, Rockwell designed a cover in which he could acknowledge his appreciation of the genre. By placing his back to us, he leaves the interpretation of the museum visitor's reaction to the viewer.

During an interview with the Smithsonian American Art Museum in conjunction with the exhibition Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, collector Steven Spielberg said:

"The Connoisseur is a fascinating painting for me. ...Rockwell actually had to do a Jackson Pollock. He had to get that drip effect on that canvas. That means he had to completely change the paradigm of his style to accomplish a Jackson Pollack and a very convincing Jackson Pollock, before going back to his sort of conventional human characters. For me that represents how an artist can suddenly change his style and be unrecognizable in one form in another medium and then return to the style that we're familiar with." - Steven Spielberg

The original oil painting is now part of a private collection, and featured in the exhibition Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World, on view June 17 through October 29, 2016.

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About Our Products

Quality

Norman Rockwell Museum Custom Prints is your exclusive source for custom reproductions authorized and available for purchase directly from the Norman Rockwell Museum. All items that are offered are produced using gallery-quality materials and the color is managed in a manner that produces a reproduction as true to the original as modern technology will allow.

Selection

Many of the works offered through this store are exclusive and not available anywhere else. We offer all 321 of the iconic works Rockwell created as Saturday Evening Post covers, including many other classic illustrations from his archive.

Customization

You have found the work that speaks to you. Now what? Using our innovative custom framing tool, you can preview exactly what your finished and framed art will look like. We offer many different moulding styles so there is sure to be a match for any type of decor.

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