From the very beginning Norman Rockwell had an uncanny knack of knowing what the public wanted.

He painted two covers and made a sketch for a third, then took the train to Philadelphia, where he presented his work to the Post’s art editor. After the art editor studied the work, he informed Rockwell that the magazine was prepared to buy both of the finished works, and wanted him to finish the sketch for a third cover. Rockwell and the Post would be associated for the next 47 years. This Post cover appeared in May of 1916, his first. There would be 323 more.

As the pendulum swings and the cuckoo emerges from its ornate lodging, the young man—his hair just lightly ruffled---gasps in amazement, realizing that time has flown. His beloved wears an expression that suggests her emotions have soared. The young woman a trifle plump, her beau a neighborhood dandy, almost choked by his high, stiff collar. Rockwell understands that hands can be almost as expressive as faces, and here his work with the young man’s hands is especially effective.