White House Historical Association Acquires Rockwell Sketches for $5.8 Million

In a significant cultural acquisition, the White House Historical Association has successfully reclaimed a series of sketches by renowned American painter Norman Rockwell. The sketches were acquired for an impressive sum of $5.8 million at a recent auction.

The collection consists of four sketches titled "So You Want to See the President!" which were originally displayed in the West Wing. These artworks were removed in 2022 following a family dispute regarding their ownership.

These sketches depict a diverse group of individuals, including journalists and military personnel, seated in rich red chairs as they awaited a meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The sketches were sold by a grandson of the White House official who received them as a gift from Rockwell himself.

Anita McBride, a board member of the association, expressed her excitement, stating, "I can’t tell you how personally thrilled I am that the White House Historical Association preserved this piece of White House history." This acquisition marks the highest price ever paid by the association, surpassing their previous record of $1.5 million for the artwork "The Builders" by Jacob Lawrence in 2007.

The Rockwell sketches are significant as they are the only known collection of four interrelated paintings designed to narrate a story, created in 1943 and published in the Saturday Evening Post.

Stewart McLaurin, president of the association, mentioned their plans to utilize this acquisition to educate future generations about White House history. Discussions are already underway to possibly display the sketches at The People’s House: A White House Experience, an educational center that opened in September 2024.

The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the museum quality of the White House's interior and educating the public about its history.