Norman Rockwell painting sells for record-breaking $46 million Norman Rockwell's 1951 painting "Saying Grace" broke auction records at Sotheby's in New York on Wednesday when it sold for a record $46 million. Associated Press By Deborah Vankin December 4, 2013, 12:51 p.m. Norman Rockwell's 1951 painting "Saying Grace" broke auction records Wednesday when it sold at Sotheby's in New York City for $46 million. That is the highest price an American painting has ever garnered at auction, Sotheby's said.