A Norman Rockwell painting stolen in 1976 has been found. It was a study for The Saturday Evening Post cover of September 6, 1919. Known as Lazybones or Taking a Break, the painting pictures a boy resting against a tree with his dog. It’s a very early work by Rockwell, created when he was 25 years old. The painting was hanging in a Philadelphia antique dealer’s kitchen when he noticed an FBI alert about the missing painting and informed the authorities. The dealer said he bought it for several hundred dollars a few years ago. The FBI, as well as the Norman Rockwell Foundation, examined the painting and said it was authentic, so it was returned to the victims of the theft. Valued at a million dollars, the painting is now in storage. The FBI is looking for the thief.
It woud be a great service to all collectors if there was a “All Points Bulletin” (if you will) website, or app to warn and educate collectors of missing and/or thefts of prized items belonging to others. A kind of “Amber Alert” .