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Norman Rockwell
Freedom from Want, 1942
Illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1943
Freedom from Want was inspired by, and has since become a model for, the all-American Thanksgiving. The most appropriated of Rockwell's artworks, its composition is familiar to many, and has made its way into the public consciousness. A constructed reality, this convincing scenario features the artist's neighbors and family members, who posed in his studio at individual sessions. Featured is Mrs. Thadeus Wheaton, the family's cook, who holds the large turkey, as well as the artist's wife Mary Barstow Rockwell (second from bottom left) and Nancy Hill Rockwell, his mother (second from bottom right). The work reflects Rockwell's mastery of visual texture in art, from the gleam of white china to the transparency of water in glasses. Despite Rockwell's artistic optimism, he had misgivings about depicting the bounty of the holiday when much of Europe was "starving, overrun [and] displaced" during World War II. In letters to Rockwell, the public commented upon the abundance of food, but also the importance of community and conviviality as a point of emphasis. |