On View
Not on viewObject number1971/2.1
Growing Boy
Artist
Norman Rockwell
(American, 1894-1978)
Dateca. 1939
Mediumcharcoal on paper
Dimensionsimage: 23 1/2 in. × 18 in. (59.7 × 45.7 cm)
frame: 28 1/2 × 23 1/8 × 1 1/8 in. (72.4 × 58.7 × 2.9 cm)
frame: 28 1/2 × 23 1/8 × 1 1/8 in. (72.4 × 58.7 × 2.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Gilmore
Exhibition History"70 Years, 70 Works from the KIA Permanent Collection," KIA (Nov. 19, 1994 - Feb. 10, 1995).
On loan to Muskegon Museum of Art (May 27, 1997 - Aug. 4, 1998).
"Your Doctor Speaks: The Pharmacia Corporate Collection," KIA Galleries 3&4 (Nov. 29, 2000 - Feb. 25, 2001).
"Highlight from the Permanent Collection," KIA, March - May 2003.
"Master Drawings from the Permanent Collection," KIA Long Gallery (Nov. 18, 2006 - Feb. 4, 2007).
"Picturing Health: Norman Rockwell and the Art of Illustration," KIA (Sept. 20 - Dec. 14, 2008).
"Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).Label Text"Growing Boy", was a preliminary sketch for a painting commissioned by the Upjohn Company in the 1940s for their "Your Doctor Speaks" series. The "Your Doctor Speaks" paintings appeared in national magazines, including "Life" and "The Saturday Evening Post", as advertisements containing information on general medical topics from high blood pressure to advice on aging.
"Growing Boy" was used for a message concerning the dietary needs of children, such as the importance of "bone-building Vitamin D", a supplement that was produced by Upjohn. Although Rockwell was only one of many American artists commissioned for the "Your Doctor Speaks" program, his tender portrayal of a young boy marking his transformation into a strong, healthy man, quickly became a national favorite.
"Growing Boy" was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Gilmore. Mr. Gilmore was the Upjohn executive responsible for the "Your Doctor Speaks" series.
[The title of the painting is "He's Going to Be Taller than Dad," 1939]
