The Christmas Coach
A few words about Norman Rockwell's painting that hangs at the Society of Illustrators in New York City.
A few years ago I had occasion to attend a lunch at the Society of Illustrators, the oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of illustration in America.
Housed in a graceful, five-story townhouse on a quiet residential block on the Upper East Side that was built for J.P. Morgan’s personal secretary, it is a quaint and jam-packed museum and clubhouse.
The bar on the third floor is a happy spot, overlooking the neighborhood below and brightly lit by the large windows next to it. The bar had originally been a members lounge and library, which accommodated such members as N.C. Wyeth, Rube Goldberg, and Norman Rockwell over the years.
And it is on Normal Rockwell (1894–1978) that we’ll land, because one of his paintings hangs behind the bar.
Rockwell, of course, was one of the most famous illustrators of the 20th century, made a household name thanks to the covers he painted for The Saturday Evening Post. They are as closely associated with America as baseball and apple pie.
A two-page spread titled “The Christmas Coach” appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on December 28, 1935. The caption reads: “Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; and transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fireside, his quiet home!” (From The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club).
A bit of a Dickensian mashup, the original study was titled The Dover Coach by Rockwell, as the caption came from The Pickwick Papers (as above) but was reminiscent of the Dover Mail, a stagecoach that delivered mail and passengers in A Tale of Two Cities.
The original piece was donated to the Society by the artist.
Rockwell once described painting the piece:
“This was painted for The Saturday Evening Post in California during a very hot August. The heat in the studio was terrific. Perhaps you can see that the faces are shiny: that is perspiration. I especially remember the stagecoach driver wrapped in those heavy clothes, with sweat running down his face and off his nose … The wonderful part of working near Hollywood is that you can find everything. A place outside the city has every type of historic vehicle, including perfect English coaches … This painting now hangs in the clubhouse of the Society of Illustrators, New York.”
Wherever you may find yourself this holiday season, may it be a happy one filled with faces shining with peace and goodwill.
And that’s Classy AF.
Amen, keep it classy as f 👏👏