Norman Rockwell's So You Want to See the President! Headlines Heritage's November 14 American Art Auction

The only known four-panel interrelated suite by Rockwell – a rare, unifying vision of American democracy – offered by the descendants of FDR’s press secretary, Stephen T. Early DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (Oct. 23, 2025) — Heritage Auctions is honored to present Norman Rockwell's So You Want to See the President! — the artist's only known suite of four interrelated paintings — as the centerpiece of its November 14, 2025 American Art Signature® Auction. Created in 1943 at the height of World War II, this monumental work represents one of Rockwell's most ambitious and unifying achievements: a sweeping visual meditation on democracy and the human face of leadership. Commissioned by Stephen T. Early, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's trusted press secretary, So You Want to See the President! transforms the White House waiting room into a living cross-section of America. Soldiers, senators, Secret Service agents and citizens share the same space, each figure rendered with Rockwell's inimitable blend of humor, empathy and precision. For nearly four decades, from 1978 through 2022, the four panels hung prominently in the White House, on long-term loan from the Early family. Their presence in the Executive Mansion made them a familiar sight to presidents, dignitaries and visitors alike — a daily reminder of the nation's democratic spirit and of Rockwell's rare ability to humanize history. "Rockwell had an unparalleled gift for translating the ideals of democracy into something personal and accessible," says Aviva Lehmann, Heritage's Senior Vice President and Director of American Art. "In So You Want to See the President!, he turns the grandeur of the White House into a stage for ordinary Americans. It's a work that speaks as powerfully today as it did in 1943, and represents a once-in-a-generation collecting opportunity." A Vision of Democracy in Four Scenes Each of the suite's four panels unfolds within the same antechamber of the White House, forming a continuous narrative of anticipation. In the first, Early greets members of the press; in the second, officers and Miss America fill the room's red sofas as Secret Service men lean on a table beneath a rack hung with the President's gas masks — reminders of wartime vigilance; in the third, senators from opposing parties chat amiably and generals shake hands, their presence among servicemen, Miss America and reporters signaling Roosevelt's vision of democracy as inclusive and cooperative; and in the final panel, the door to the Oval Office opens just enough to reveal Roosevelt at his desk, the leader of a free world glimpsed not from afar but within reach. Rockwell's brushwork is both meticulous and humane, his vignettes charged with the warmth and humor that defined his greatest work. As art historian Thomas S. Buechner writes, "[Rockwell's] subject was average America … painted with such benevolent affection that a truly remarkable history of our century has been compiled." So You Want to See the President! distills that sentiment into a single narrative, one that celebrates patience, civility and shared purpose. From the Elam Family Collection This historic suite comes directly from the Elam family, descendants of Stephen T. Early, whose influence on presidential communication was profound. As FDR's press secretary and confidant, Early transformed the public's relationship with the presidency, pioneering innovations like the "Fireside Chats" and twice-weekly press conferences. His belief in accessibility, in keeping government close to the people, inspired his 1943 commission from Rockwell, who was invited to the White House to observe and record the steady stream of visitors awaiting an audience with Roosevelt. In 2023, a federal court affirmed that the paintings had been gifted by Early during his lifetime to his descendant, William Nile Elam, III, reaffirming both the family's stewardship and the historical continuum linking Rockwell, Early and Roosevelt. A Defining American Masterwork For collectors, historians and admirers of Rockwell, So You Want to See the President! represents a singular opportunity: a complete, conceptually unified suite by America's most beloved visual storyteller. "This group embodies everything that makes Rockwell essential — narrative, empathy and a distinctly American optimism," says Lehmann. "It's incredibly rare to encounter a work by Rockwell that operates simultaneously as fine art, social history and civic document. This suite does all three, and does so with heart, humor and hope." Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) So You Want to See the President!, 1943 Mixed media on paper Est. $4,000,000-$6,000,000 Heritage Auctions' American Art Signature® Auction takes place November 14, 2025, in Dallas and online at HA.com/8231, where the auction is now open for bidding. Auction previews open to the public: Oct. 27-29 at Heritage's Chicago location and Nov. 8 and Nov. 10-14 at Heritage's New York City location. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Christina Rees, Director of Public Relations and Communications 214-409-1341; CRees@HA.com