Safe On Base- Saturday Evening Post Lithograph by Alan Foster

Collectibles : Lithographs

 

This is a lithograph by Curtis Publishing Company of the Saturday Evening Post cover art by Alan Stephens Foster. This famous work was created by Alan Stephens Foster and appeared on the cover of the May 28, 1927 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. Alan Stephens Foster was a contemporary of Norman Rockwell. Many have compared their work both in terms of style and content. Foster was one of the Post's most prolific cover artists, producing a total of thirty cover paintings for The Post between the years 1923 and 1933, almost all featuring youngsters, and many involving the world of sport. His cover output was tragically cut short as he passed away suddenly in 1934 at the young age of forty-two. Very few of the thirty original Saturday Evening Post cover artworks by Foster have survived. The Lithograph, entitled Safe On Base, features a sandlot baseball scene of the era, with the youngster playing first base attempting to pull the old "hidden ball trick," waiting for the runner to step off first to tag him out. This play, now sometimes referred to as "the lost art in baseball," has long been popular in baseball games of the past, especially on playgrounds. (It has actually been used in the majors as well. There have been a reported 210 successful executions in the Major Leagues dating back to 1876.) Saturday Evening Post covers hold a special place in the heart of the collective consciousness of America. These are the covers that capture the spirit of American's cultural identity. For an artist, a Post cover piece not only afforded maximum exposure, but also conveyed his or her elite status within the illustration field. The litho measures 17 X13 and is framed in a 21.5 X 17.5 inch frame.

Item ID: ls00328