The Dugout: Norman Rockwell’s Loveable Losers

The renowned artist had received a baseball-related commission from the Saturday Evening Post and ultimately focused his attention on the contrast between the losing and dejected Cubs players and the elated Braves fans behind the dugout. The result was The Dugout, which has become an iconic portrayal of the 1948 Chicago Cubs.

This painting, a large, early oil study for The Dugout, was recently given to the Art Institute of Chicago.

One of the most famed artists working in the United States in the 20th century, Rockwell was a household name, thanks to his accessible, realistic style. He was particularly beloved for creating engaging magazine covers for the Saturday Evening Post that touched on all facets of American society, including fine arts, politics, social rituals, sports, and many other topics.

The Dugout was published as the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on September 4, 1948, by which time the Cubs had fallen to last in their league. Rockwell’s cover helped cement their reputation as the “loveable losers,” and in turn it became one of the most recognized sports images of the 20th century.

Although most Americans saw Rockwell’s work in reproduction, his practice as an illustrator rested on a bedrock of painting. He regularly had people pose for him so that he could take reference photographs to use in the studio to construct his compositions. For The Dugout, Cubs pitcher Bob Rush, manager Charlie Grimm, catcher Al “Rube” Walker, and pitcher Johnny Schmitz all posed for Rockwell with various expressions of dismay.

For the fans, he recruited volunteers, asking them to act out their celebratory responses.

Artist as acting coach

Rockwell encourages volunteers in photos by John Stuart Cloud for “Keeping Posted” in The Saturday Evening Post, September 4, 1948. Dugout © SEPS by Curtis Licensing.

The figure of the forlorn batboy, however, was not a member of the Cubs; instead, Rockwell paid the Braves batboy, Frank McNulty, $5 to don the Cubs uniform and pose.  

In the studio Rockwell completed multiple studies in graphite, charcoal, and oil as he conceptualized the cover, maintaining the engaging expressions and emotional body language of all the figures. The version now in the Art Institute’s collection appears to be an earlier study, as it contains several elements that differ from the cover—most visible in the cross-armed pose of Charlie Grimm. It is also quite large, and far exceeds the scale of the highly finished watercolor that served as the immediate model for the cover lithograph. The first work by Rockwell to enter the museum’s collection, The Dugout joins other major icons of American painting such as Grant Wood’s American Gothic and Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. With its Chicago focus and celebration of America’s favorite pastime, it’s bound to attract some fans.

And while you don’t have to be a Cubs fan to feel the acute sadness of the players, it sure helps.

—Sarah Kelly Oehler, Field-McCormick Chair and Curator of Arts of the Americas and vice president of Curatorial Strategy

loveable losers no more!

With a little help from our beloved lions, the museum celebrated in style when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016—a mere 68 years after Rockwell’s painting—and only 108 years since their last World Series win. (But who’s counting?)

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