On This Day in 1938: Norman Rockwell's Self-Portrait

October 8, 1938: On this day, 71 years ago, Norman Rockwell chose to portray himself for the cover image of the Saturday Evening Post. The artwork shows Rockwell in a quandary he frequently had to grapple with - trying to come up with a cover for the Post on deadline.

The art that Norman Rockwell contributed to the Saturday Evening Post made him an American icon. His illustrations were very popular and both Rockell's work and the Post itself became fixtures in US homes during the early Twentieth Century. The Saturday Evening Post was published each week and ran from August 4, 1821 to February 8, 1969. After this time, it ran as a monthly magazine. 

When first approached by the Post, Rockwell was hesitant, but began to see it as his opportunity to make it as an artist. In 1916, at age 18, he brought two paintings and three sketches to the editor, George Horace Lorimer, who liked the two paintings and approved the three sketches for future covers for the Saturday Evening Post. He was paid $75.00 each for his two paintings.

The first Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover was published on May 20, 1916.