vince’s ear

Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and the hopes that you can sit around a nice and delicious holiday meal with your family like the one in the painting above.

This painting is actually part of a series from American illustrator Norman Rockwell, called the Four Freedoms, with this one being the Freedom From Want. The title comes from the State of the Union address of FDR in 1941 in which the president explains the four essential human rights: the freedom of speech, the freedom from fear, the freedom of worship, and the freedom from want. The rights were emphasized as motivation to continue the support of the fight in WWII.

Rockwell, as a major contributor to the Saturday Evening Post covers, used the “freedoms” as a four week theme to coincide with essays and articles from major thinkers of the day with the underlying message: “In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.” Later the original oil paintings highlighted a touring exhibition which would raise money for war bonds.

Norman Rockwell, along with his predecessor J. C. Leyendecker, painted in oils with a distinctive realist style to portray early 20th century America. Like Leyendecker before him, Rockwell enjoyed a long and prolific career as Saturday Evening Post illustrator. He helped to spread ideas and messages to the public using the vehicle of one of the most popular weekly magazines. The message was sometimes one of unity and family, and others one of tolerance and peace. Often the illustrations were playful and humorous.

The covers, of course, also went along with the seasons and holidays with the best of all being the warm and jolly covers of the most popular holiday season. The Rockwell santas, in part inspired by the Leyendecker Saint Nicks, were always a favorite among among Rockwell fans. He always made sure to remind people of the origin of Christmas by being sure to include a little halo of the jolly elf to show that he is in fact still a saint.

Even fans of the most modern abstract art can appreciate the warmth you get when looking at classic Rockwell holiday paintings. Maybe the realist style is unfortunately gone and real oil paintings done for magazine covers almost obsolete, but the family values, “Peace on Earth,” friendliness and happiness that Rockwell art represented is still alive and well.