Norman Rockwell Red Sox painting on display at Fenway to fetch at least $20M

The painting had been in Boston in 2005 and '08 following the Red Sox World Series wins.

Two of Massachusetts' finest came together on Monday.

A Norman Rockwell painting of Boston Red Sox players that's expected to fetch between $20 and $30 million was on display at Fenway Park on Monday before it moves to some hostile territory -- New York City -- for an auction at Christie's.

The painting, as described in the report from the Associated Press on Monday, displays pitcher Frank Sullivan, right fielder Jackie Jensen, catcher Sammy White, second baseman Billy Goodman and Hall of Famer Ted Williams; Sullivan and Rockwell's model for the rookie, Sherman Safford, were on hand for the painting's viewing at Fenway. The art first appeared on the March 2, 1957 cover of the Saturday Evening Post, and is expected to be offered on May 22 at the New York auction house. 

It was acquired by an anonymous owner in 1986 and has since remained in private collection. Until this past Sunday, it had been on display for six days at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where it had previously been in 2005 and '08 following Boston's World Series wins.

Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894 but died at his home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which has since been converted in part to a museum of his work.

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