By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 10:18 EST, 20 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 20 September 2013 . His iconic paintings are loved for their nostalgic portrayal of American life. So it's perhaps little wonder that a selection of Norman Rockwell's paintings are expected to fetch millions when they go up for auction. Seven works by American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell, including 'Saying Grace' and 'The Gossips,' will be sold at auction in New York in December at Sotheby's auction house. 'Saying Grace,' voted the favorite cover by readers of the Post after it was published in 1951, shows a Mennonite family praying at a restaurant . 'The Gossips' from 1948, in which 15 pairs of people including Rockwell and his wife are depicted talking to each other, could fetch as much as $9 million . Rockwell, who died in 1978 at age 84, painted nostalgic and amusing scenes of everyday American life over the course of some 65 years. The paintings are expected to fetch upwards of $24 million total at the December 4 auction. They are being sold by the descendents of Kenneth J. Stuart Sr., Rockwell's friend and the art director at the Saturday Evening Post magazine, which published hundreds of his works on its covers over more than 40 years. 'Saying Grace,' voted the favorite cover by readers of the Post after it was published in 1951, shows a Mennonite family praying at a restaurant. It has a pre-sale estimate of up to $20 million. Seven works by American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell will be sold at auction in December . 'The Gossips' from 1948, in which 15 pairs of people including Rockwell and his wife are depicted talking to each other, could fetch as much as $9 million. Elizabeth Goldberg, the head of Sotheby's American Art department, said: 'To offer any one of these masterworks would be a great privilege. 'To present two of Norman Rockwell's most iconic works in one auction is unprecedented.' Other paintings in the sale are 'Walking to Church,' with a pre-sale estimate of up to $5 million, a portrait of former President Dwight Eisenhower called 'The Day I Painted Ike,' and color studies for 'Girl at Mirror,' 'Norman Rockwell Visits a Country School, and 'Breaking Home Ties.' Rockwell's 'Breaking Home Ties' sold for $15.4 million in 2006 at Sotheby's, an auction record for him. For those who can't trust themselves with bidding, art-lovers can settle for a painting by heading to Amazon - so long as they have enough for the $4.85 million. Customers can buy works of art from more than 150 prominent galleries and dealers via Amazon Art.Amazon Art features 40,000 works from more than 4,500 artists, with prices ranging from $10 (£6.45) for a screen print to a Norman Rockwell oil painting that costs $4.85 million (£3.1 million). While many galleries and artists will undoubtedly welcome the prominence the website will bring to them, some feel that online market place's new venture cheapens the art and compromises its integrity.
'Saying Grace' and 'The Gossips,' are among the pieces that will be sold .
Sotheby's auction in New York expected to fetch $24million for seven works .
By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 10:18 EST, 20 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 20 September 2013 . His iconic paintings are loved for their nostalgic portrayal of American life. So it's perhaps little wonder that a selection of Norman Rockwell's paintings are expected to fetch millions when they go up for auction. Seven works by American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell, including 'Saying Grace' and 'The Gossips,' will be sold at auction in New York in December at Sotheby's auction house. 'Saying Grace,' voted the favorite cover by readers of the Post after it was published in 1951, shows a Mennonite family praying at a restaurant . 'The Gossips' from 1948, in which 15 pairs of people including Rockwell and his wife are depicted talking to each other, could fetch as much as $9 million . Rockwell, who died in 1978 at age 84, painted nostalgic and amusing scenes of everyday American life over the course of some 65 years. The paintings are expected to fetch upwards of $24 million total at the December 4 auction. They are being sold by the descendents of Kenneth J. Stuart Sr., Rockwell's friend and the art director at the Saturday Evening Post magazine, which published hundreds of his works on its covers over more than 40 years. 'Saying Grace,' voted the favorite cover by readers of the Post after it was published in 1951, shows a Mennonite family praying at a restaurant. It has a pre-sale estimate of up to $20 million. Seven works by American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell will be sold at auction in December . 'The Gossips' from 1948, in which 15 pairs of people including Rockwell and his wife are depicted talking to each other, could fetch as much as $9 million. Elizabeth Goldberg, the head of Sotheby's American Art department, said: 'To offer any one of these masterworks would be a great privilege. 'To present two of Norman Rockwell's most iconic works in one auction is unprecedented.' Other paintings in the sale are 'Walking to Church,' with a pre-sale estimate of up to $5 million, a portrait of former President Dwight Eisenhower called 'The Day I Painted Ike,' and color studies for 'Girl at Mirror,' 'Norman Rockwell Visits a Country School, and 'Breaking Home Ties.' Rockwell's 'Breaking Home Ties' sold for $15.4 million in 2006 at Sotheby's, an auction record for him. For those who can't trust themselves with bidding, art-lovers can settle for a painting by heading to Amazon - so long as they have enough for the $4.85 million. Customers can buy works of art from more than 150 prominent galleries and dealers via Amazon Art.Amazon Art features 40,000 works from more than 4,500 artists, with prices ranging from $10 (£6.45) for a screen print to a Norman Rockwell oil painting that costs $4.85 million (£3.1 million). While many galleries and artists will undoubtedly welcome the prominence the website will bring to them, some feel that online market place's new venture cheapens the art and compromises its integrity.
Norman Rockwell's paintings are expected to fetch Rockwell, including 'Saying Grace' and 'The Gossips,' will be sold at auction in New York in