London Stagecoach by Norman Rockwell

December 5, 1925 Issue of The Saturday Evening Post

London Stagecoach, this Norman Rockwell painting, appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post published December 5, 1925.

The alternate title for this painting is London Coach.

The location and ownership of the original painting is unknown.

This painting was Rockwell's eighty-second overall picture featured on the cover of The Post. Rockwell's career with the Post spanned 47 years, from his first cover illustration, Boy With Baby Carriage in 1916 to his last, Portrait of John F. Kennedy, in 1963.

This was also the ninth Rockwell cover in 1925. The Post featured a Rockwell illustration on its cover snone times in 1925.

This illustration has been reproduced in three Rockwell commentary books, as illustration 164 of Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator by Thomas Buechner, on page 37 of Norman Rockwell: A Sixty Year Retrospective by Thomas Buechner and on page 102 of Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt.

London Stagecoach

Here is another famous Norman Rockwell Christmas illustration.

This is another Rockwell Christmas painting that begs the question: What is Christnmas about it? After all, people drive and ride on coaches every day of the year, not just Christmas.

Besides the caption "Merrie Christmas" at the bottom of the painting, there are only a few hard clues indicating that this illustration might be about Christmas. Let's examine the evidence, shall we?

Rockwell often provided subtle hints in his work. Not all of his illustrations are as transparent as his April Fool cover illustrations. The viewer really has to dig to see the Christmas references in this painting.

First off, we can see that the coach driver has a holly sprig tucked into the band of his hat. The driver is dressed very warmly with heavy leather gloves and box coat, a heavy overcoat including shoulder capes. So the season of year is known. It is certainly winter in this picture.

The boy seated next to the coachman on the box seat is dressed warmly as well with a heavy looking cape over his overcoat. He holds a box in his lap. Is this a present of some sort. It doesn't look like it is wrapped in any way.

No doubt, the boy is on his way either to or from a visit to relatives prior to Christmas. That box in his lap may contain a Christmas present for or from those family members. Or it may just be his lunch. It appears to have a hinged lid on the side facing the horses.