Norman Rockwell's original promotional art for the Jerry Lewis comedy Cinderfella (1960) is to cross the block at Heritage Auctions.
It's expected to make around $300,000-500,000 in a May 7 American art sale in Dallas.
 Jerry Lewis approached Norman Rockwell to create the artwork for Cinderfella |
Lewis, a huge Rockwell fan, personally approached him to commission the artwork.
As Lewis explained: "It was very successful. We figured the picture would gross about $7 million domestic. The minute we put Rockwell's name to it, the figure became $16 million.
"When it went out, it did about $5 ?� million more than that. And the domestic box office at the time was kind of tepid.
"And we really, really banged the ball out of the park�ǪMy whole idea was to get an icon in the world of art and have that icon sell the movie for me�ǪAnd Rockwell brought that. That's what he brought".
The work (which has been in Lewis' personal collection since the 1960s) is one of only a handful of pieces Rockwell produced for films.
Rockwell's iconic depictions of everyday American life made him one of the nation's best-loved artists. There has been a surge in demand for his work of late, with a record $46m paid for Saying Grace in 2013.
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