T R E AT Y. NORMAN ROCKWELL Gee, Thanks, Brooks Baseball Autograph (Portrait of Brooks Robinson), 1971 Oil on Canvas 37 x 27 inches Price Upon Request

Transcription

1 P R I VAT E T R E AT Y NORMAN ROCKWELL Gee, Thanks, Brooks Baseball Autograph (Portrait of Brooks Robinson), 1971 Oil on Canvas 37 x 27 inches Price Upon Request

2 It was September 2006, and Brooks Robinson was holding court at a low table set in front of a winding line of autograph seekers at the Maryland Science Center. The appearance was part of a traveling exhibition of Rockwell artwork bearing the understated title, Rockwell s America, a celebration of the most iconic illustration artist of the twentieth century, and Robinson, as one of Rockwell s most famous subjects and owners, was simply along for the ride. For nearly five decades, Rockwell had charmed a nation with his engaging studies of the American experience for The Saturday Evening Post, his paintings both informed by the precepts of photorealism and his personal belief that realism should not be the sole guiding ethic. I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn t an ideal world, it should be so and painted only the ideal aspects of it pictures in which there are no drunken slatterns or self-centered mothers, the artist explained. Only foxy grandpas who played baseball with kids and boys who fished from logs and got up circuses in the back yard. And so Brooks Robinson was a fitting subject for an artist who wished to see only the best in Ameri- One of the most decorated baseball stars of the post-war era, Brooks Robinson has opened his can life, a man whose supremacy at his profession was as unequivocal as his humility in the face enormous trophy case to the bidders of Heritage Auctions, supplying his extraordinary collection of 16 of adulation. As Robinson applied his boyish autograph to a stack of Rockwell lithographs bearing Gold Glove Awards, the 1964 American League MVP Award, a pair of World Championship rings, and his image, he sheepishly greeted several young men named Brooks Maryland is full of them now. countless other symbols of excellence to a November 2015 auction. Robinson enjoys membership in both the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown and the even more exclusive All-Century Team that A middle-aged lady confessed Robinson had been her first crush at age six, and that she kissed the television screen every time he appeared as her brother howled at her to get out of the way. An engaged couple reported that they would display the signed print at their wedding, and Robinson narrowed the elite brotherhood to just one hundred. Yet Robinson remains one of the most humble assured them that, if he were owner of the Baltimore Orioles, he d give them use of the ballpark and unassuming of American athletic icons, a man who refused to consider his millions of supporters for the ceremony. as fans, but rather as friends. As such, Robinson proved the ideal subject for s idealized view of American life, and the kindness and humanity of this beloved baseball star shines through in this charming scene. Nearly four decades after bidding farewell to a 22-year Major League career, Brooks Robinson continues to enjoy the universal adoration that Rockwell deftly captures here, dedicating himself to a life of philanthropy that further elevates him as one of the all-time greats of American sports. H E R I T A G E A U C T I O N S P R I V A T E T R E A T Y 1

3 There s not a man who knows him who wouldn t swear for his integrity and honesty and give testimony to his consideration of others, John Steadman once reported for The News American. He s an extraordinary human being, which is important, and the world s greatest third baseman of all time, which is incidental. Certainly that has been the experience enjoyed by the staff of Heritage Auctions as we have worked in partnership with the Hall of Fame third baseman to present The Brooks Robinson Collection in the November 2015 Heritage Sports Collectibles Signature Auction. This artwork, one of the most famous ever produced by, is the sole component thereof absent from that like the one we re in now. There was a big crash, The 20s ended in an era of extravagance, sort of but then the country picked itself up again, and we auction format. had some great years. Those were the days when Rockwell was 76 years old when the painting was commissioned by Harry Figge in January 1971, America believed in itself. I was happy and proud to just weeks after Robinson had turned in one of the greatest World Series performances in history to claim the MVP Award and his second World Championship ring in a half-decade. Figge had been the owner of both Adirondack and Rawlings sporting goods companies, which supplied the superstar third baseman with his bats and gloves respectively, and he was be painting it. anxious to absorb a few rays from Robinson s high-wattage limelight. Figge sent Robinson to Rockwell s studio in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where the artist carefully sketched and photographed the subject while the pair talked sports. 2 H E R I T A G E A U C T I O N S P R I V A T E T R E A T Y H E R I T A G E A U C T I O N S P R I V A T E T R E A T Y 3

4 I had a wonderful time with him, Robinson said. He was a very knowledgeable baseball fan. I was surprised how much he knew. I saw a lot of things in his studio that I recognized from various Saturday Evening Post covers. The work would come to be entitled, Gee, Thanks, Brooks Baseball Autograph (Portrait of Brooks Robinson), effectively a caption for the red-headed youngster who beams as Robinson autographs a baseball. While several of Rockwell s most famous works pay homage to our National Pastime, from The Rookie to Game Called Because of Rain, this work would prove to be the only one to center its attention on a sole player. But Robinson is not the only famous figure present in the image. He put himself in the picture, Robinson said of Rockwell. Up in the right hand corner. He has a cigar in his mouth. It wasn t until nearly a quarter century after his visit to the Rockwell studio that Robinson himself would become the owner of his famous portrait. Figge sold his company in 1994 and subsequently sent a number of artworks to auction, among them Gee Thanks, Brooks Baseball Autograph (Portrait of Brooks Robinson), among them. I had been a little upset that Figge didn t offer it to me, Robinson admitted. I certainly would have paid whatever he wanted me to pay for it. Instead, Robinson registered for a bidding paddle. Robinson had instructed his wife to bid no more than $175,000 for the lot, but was pleased to learn No man with a conscience can just bat out illustrations. He s got to put all his talent and feeling into them! that he had been overruled by his spouse when the bid reach $190,000. My wife said go up to $200,000, and I got the painting. While this was an impressive price at the time, the two decades that have followed that sale have seen a mighty surge in the market for leading illustration artists, with Heritage Auctions proudly leading the charge. The most commonly cited Rockwell comparable The Rookie, which pictures Robinson s fellow Hall of Fame enshrinee Ted Williams commanded a sale price of $22,565,000 in The world record auction price for Rockwell currently stands at $46,085,000 ( Saying Grace, sold December 2013). The oil on canvas creation measures 37 x 27 inches in size, quite large for Rockwell, and survives in excellent condition. It is unlined, with little to no restoration. Some small areas of fluorescence appear in the young fan s left arm, and a tiny speck of paint loss about four inches to the right of Rockwell s signature. 4 HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY 5

5 According to Laurie Norton Moffatt, Five full-color oils were commissioned by ATO around Each advertised a product manufactured by ATO s subsidiary companies, including sporting goods products, fire protection equipment, and construction equipment. These paintings are among the last large color canvases executed by and are contemporaneous with the Top Value Stamp works and some of the late Boy Scouts of America Calendars (: A Definitive Catalogue, vol. I, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1986, p. 260). As the painting was commissioned as an advertising piece, the text on the Adirondack bats appear to have been stripped-in during production. The sharp details are not present in the work itself. Certainly this was a conscious decision from original creation, and in no way does it minimize the extraordinary appeal. You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you ll get a natural expression. While the market for top illustration art has established itself as one of the surging bulls of the auction world, there is every reason to believe we are still enjoying the dawning of the trend. As one of the most recognizable works in the catalog of one of American Art s most celebrated talents, this is a treasure that should enjoy a bright future. Licensing rights are included. 6 HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY 7

6 SAYING GRACE Sales Price**:...$46,085,000 **(Includes auction fee to buyer) Low Estimate:...$15,000,000 High Estimate:...$20,000,000 Signature:...Signed Size: x (109.22cm x cm) Created: Medium:...Oil / Canvas Auction Lot:...10 Auction House:...Sotheby s New York Auction Date:... 12/04/2013 THE ROOKIE (RED SOX LOCKER ROOM) Sales Price**:... $22,565,000 **(Includes auction fee to buyer) Low Estimate:... $20,000,000 High Estimate:... $30,000,000 Signature:... Signed Size: x (104.14cm x 99.06cm) Created: Medium:...Oil / Canvas Auction Lot:...30 Auction House:... Christie s New York, Rockefeller Center Auction Date:...05/22/ HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY HERITAGE AUCTIONS PRIVATE TREATY 9

7 Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed. My fundamental purpose is to interpret the typical American. I am a story teller. INQUIRIES: 877-HERITAGE ( ) Ed Jaster Illustration Art Ext EdJ@HA.com Chris Ivy Sports Ext CIvy@HA.com Aviva Lehmann American Art Ext AvivaL@HA.com PRIVATE TREAT Y DALLAS NEW YORK BEVERLY HILLS SAN FRANCISCO CHICAGO PARIS GENEVA AMSTERDAM HONG KONG