06/07/2026
First published for the June 6, 1959 cover of The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell's The juxtaposes the optimism and enthusiasm of a student against a collage of ominous headlines reflecting a difficult job market, inflation, and threats of war, which continue to resonate with young graduates even today. Rockwell's own son Thomas served as the model in this near life-sized portrait.
Find an original magazine tearsheet in our galleries, with custom prints of this, along with other great gift ideas for dads and grads, available 15% OFF with coupon code SPRING15 at prints.nrm.org