Vacation's Over (Girl Returning from Summer Trip )

From 1918 to 1923, Norman Rockwell produced forty-seven covers for Literary Digest magazine. His topical images for the current events weekly portrayed a rich cross-section of American society. Covers pictured city and country dwellers and people of all ages and economic classes at work, in school, enjoying leisure activities, or simply daydreaming. Vacation'�s Over pictures a well-to-do little girl returning from vacation. Carrying a puppy, perhaps acquired during her travels, she is surrounded by her steamer trunk adorned with travel stickers, a satchel, and a Chinese lunch basket. Miniature paintings on each side of the canvas, one of a country scene and the other of a city scene, may document places she has traveled. The lure and joy of travel is keenly felt in this painting, published just as Rockwell was to experience his first trip abroad. In November 1921, while at work on an ad campaign for General Electric�s Edison Mazda division,the art director and his staff were given an all-expenses-paid trip to South America as a reward for the campaign�s success. Rockwell was taken along as the art director�s assistant. The trip had its ups and downs but left Rockwell feeling �"shaken up,"� which he liked. "�In short, I�d developed chronic wanderlust. A bad case—�I haven�t got over it yet.�"

Related Links:

http://collection.nrm.org/search.do?view=lightbox&keyword=%22literary+digest%22&db=object

http://www.nrm.org/2011/01/its-a-dogs-life-norman-rockwell-paints-mans-best-friend