Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Happy Birthday, Norman Rockwell


Inspired by a 1941 speech by President Franklin Roosevelt, Rockwell painted the "Four Freedoms," which he planned to donate to the War Department. When the government expressed little interest in the work, Rockwell sold it to the Saturday Evening Post, which received thousands of reprint requests. It is worth noting that Rockwell's work was later used by the government for war loan drives. While it was originally intended for an American audience, the iconic series has since spread around the world, contributing to an understanding of American values in foreign countries.

For a peerless photo essay on Rockwell and Socialist Realism, check out John Brown's Notes and Essays.

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