In May, Heritage Auctions in Dallas set a record for a Norman Rockwell study with the $1.3m sale of Triple Self Portrait. The record didn’t stand for long:
“Tough Call,” a classic original masterpiece by Norman Rockwell — discovered hanging in Austin, Texas, and considered nothing more than a cheap print — has sold for a staggering $1.6 million at a public auction of high-end sports memorabilia held by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Auction house experts realized the work, signed by Rockwell, was much more than a simple print of the famous work. Close inspection showed it was an original oil on paper study for one of Rockwell’s most famous paintings. The 16-inch by 15-inch painting was expected to sell for $300,000 but instead realized more than five times pre-auction estimates, once again breaking the record for any Rockwell study.
