NORMAN ROCKWELL THE FOUR FREEDOMS

The first freedom expressed in FDR's speech was stated as; "The first is freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world."

The Rockwell Freedom of Speech painting shows an ordinary citizen standing to express his opinion in a group. All of the others we can see are dressed better than he, but he still has the right to speak out and say what he thinks.

The Freedom of Speech is perhaps the most important of the Four Freedoms. When a citizenship is able to express itself and demonstrate any dissatisfaction, that country will tend to remain free.

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The second freedom expressed in FDR's speech was stated as; "The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way - everywhere in the world."

The Rockwell Freedom to Worship illustration shows a group of citizens engaged in prayer and worship in a way that seems right to them. Rockwell wished as did FDR for this opportunity to exist for all the people of the world.

This, unfortunately may be the least known and recognized painting in Rockwells Four Freedoms series.

However, the importance of people having the right to worship the God of their choice and in the way they choose is obviously important.

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The third freedom in Roosevelt's speech was stated as; "The third is freedom from want......."

The Rockwell Freedom from Want illustration has in later years become known as Norman Rockwells Thanksgiving painting. That makes sense as the setting is obviously that of a family about to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast.

Freedom from Want is a noble sentiment that will be a difficult, but, hopefully, achievable goal sometime in the future.

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The fourth freedom expressed in Roosevelt's speech was stated as; "The fourth is freedom from fear, which translated into world terms.........."

The Rockwell Freedom from Fear painting has a wonderfully soft and gentle touch. We see parents tucking in their children who obviously feel safe and secure.

Freedom from Fear is another most noble sentiment that will certainly not be easy to achieve for all the people of the world.

To purchase a high quality print of the Norman Rockwell Freedom of Speech, please click the link below.





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This is an excerpt from the speech given by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Congress, 16 January, 1941.

"In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way - everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants - everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor- anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so called "new order' of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb."

The high quality print below is not from Rockwells Four Freedoms, but it is beautiful and symbolic. If you would like to see a larger photo please click on the link below.





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When World War II broke out Norman Rockwell was too old for military service. He desperately wanted to do something to help his country in its time of conflict, so he decided to illustrate the four freedoms from FDR's speech. For Norman Rockwell freedom was not taken lightly.

Rockwell worked for six months during 1942. In order to finish them to his satisfaction and in a timely manner, he was forced to work long hours with little sleep.

Once finished Norman Rockwell tried unsuccessfully to get a government agency to sponsor the paintings.

The picture below is not a Rockwell. It is, however, a representation of what I think Norman Rockwell felt he was doing his part to protect, when he produced the Four Freedoms.

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After the government rejected the Rockwell Freedom paintings, he turned to his old friend, The Saturday Evening Post. The Post gladly accepted the illustrations and published them in the following order:

Freedom of Speech - 20 February, 1943
Freedom of Religion - 27 February, 1943
Freedom from Want - 6 March, 1943
Freedom from Fear - 13 March, 1943

The Saturday Evening Post also commissioned essays to accompany each of the illustrations when they were published.

Freedom of Speech by Booth Tarkington
Freedom of Worship by Will Durant
Freedom from Want by Carlos Bulosan
Freedom from Fear by Stephen Vincent Benet

Public response was overwhelming and the Post sold more than 25,000 sets of prints from the publication.

To see a larger photo of an "Ours to Fight For" print of Freedom from Fear click the link below.





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After the stunning success of the Saturday Evening Post, the government finally got on board.

The War Bond issues are said to have raised more than 130 million dollars.

Although he was not eligible to go and fight the enemy on foreign shores, the Rockwell freedom paintings certainly made a significant and unforgettable contribution to the war effort.





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The Norman Rockwell Four Freedoms paintings were actually proceeded by a commission from Franklin Roosevelt in 1941 for a sculpture to memorialize the four main points of his speech. It was commissioned to sculptor Walter Russell.

The sculpture was first dedicated in 1943 in Madison Square Garden. It was later moved to and rededicated in Madison, Florida.

Madison, Florida was the hometown of Colin P. Kelly who was the first recognized hero of World War II.