ORIGINAL SATURDAY EVENING POST ILLUSTRATION ART

ROBERT ROBINSON (American 1886-1952)
Baseball Catcher - Illustration art for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, October 1, 1910, edition.
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated lower margin. Verso signed by artist and inscribed "Cover Baseball 4 Robinson".
31 inches x 26.5 inches

Throughout the 20th century, the Saturday Evening Post was one of the most widely circulated and influential magazines in America, reaching nearly two million homes every week. The iconic cover art commissioned for the Saturday Evening Post captured the events, pastimes, and emotions of America in years past.

A favorite topic featured on the celebrated covers was the wholesome and All-American pastime of baseball, with nearly 70 past covers portraying various aspects of the sport. Baseball inspired paintings which made it on to the cover included examples by famed artists Norman Rockwell and Joseph Christian "J.C." Leyendecker, as well as the offered lot by noted Pennsylvania artist Robert Robinson.

Robinson illustrated 38 Saturday Evening Post covers during his career, including four baseball-related paintings from the series "Moments in Baseball," issued between October 1910 through April 1912, the offered lot being the first painting from this series. The "Moments in Baseball" covers were so well-received that in 1912, the Curtis Publishing Company (owners of the Saturday Evening Post) republished all four paintings as a group of postcards, all of which are still highly sought after by collectors today.

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Condition Report: The painting is in overall average to good condition. The canvas is original and has not been lined. The paint surface appears to retain the original varnish coat which has yellowed substantially, as such we feel the painting would brighten significantly if cleaned. The paint layer of the painted figure is stable with no signs of losses or lifting. There is a small abrasion that shows some touch up on the knuckles of the baseball player. The white painted background exhibits craquelure overall and in some places the paint layer has started to cup and lift. This is especially noticeable in the lower left corner, lower right corner, upper right edge and upper left edge. Ultraviolet blacklight examination shows no retouching to the figure of the baseball player (with the exception of the aforementioned knuckles). There are some scattered retouches in the background where paint has lifted. Contained in a later unimpressive wood frame in less than average condition.