WASHINGTON — A Norman Rockwell painting of a small-town newsroom owned by the National Press Club since the 1960s sold for $11.6 million Thursday.
“Norman Rockwell Visits a Country Editor” was one of more than 100 works auctioned by Christie’s in its American Art Sale. The identity of the buyer was not disclosed. The sale price was the fourth highest for a Rockwell painting. The record price is $46 million.
“We’re gratified that this bucolic portrayal of a small-town newspaper newsroom from the mid-20th century has lived up to its estimated value,” said John Hughes, President of the National Press Club, in a statement. “The impact of the club’s stewardship of this great work will pay dividends far beyond what the artist might have imagined.”
The press club and its affiliated nonprofit corporation, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, voted last month to sell the painting, and use the funds to support educational, scholarships and other programs. The sale price was at the low end of the $10 million $15 million estimated value determined by Christie’s.
The painting was created for the Saturday Evening Post in 1946 as part of a series that features the artist visiting everyday places across the nation, including a school and a doctor’s office. Rockwell gave the painting to the National Press Club sometime in the early 1960s, and until a few years ago it hung on the wall outside the members’ restaurant on the 14th floor.
Press club officials said the decision to sell was based on the increased costs of ownership and not because of financial crisis. The value of Rockwell’s works has skyrocketed in recent years, causing insurance and security costs to increase.
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