Freedom of Speech Buy War Bonds
1943. Very large, full-colour lithographic print backed on archival linen depicting a significant 1943 artwork by Norman Rockwell. Text at the tail end of the image is as follows: "OWI Poster No. 44 Additional copies may be obtained upon request from the Division of Public Inquiries, Office of War Information, Washington, D. C., U.S. Government Printing Office: 1943—O–510257". Some wear to the folds as usual for similar items from this era, otherwise in very good condition. This remarkable lithograph depicts a significant moment in history as well as a one of a significant quartet of works by Norman Rockwell.
In President Franklin D. Roosevel'st 1941 message to the U.S. congress, he articulated the aims of the nation facing the threat war: "We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms." Two of these freedoms – freedom of speech and freedom of religion – were specifically included in the Bill of Rights. The other two – freedom from want and freedom from fear – were deeply desired by a generation confronted by economic depression and the threat of dictatorships. The artist Norman Rockwell was so inspired by Roosevelt's words that he executed a series of paintings which embodied his vision of these four basic freedoms. The paintings were published by The Saturday Evening Post, alongside essays by prominent thinkers of the day, in 1943. In the same year, the U.S. Treasury Department toured the four original paintings to 16 cities to promote war bonds, raising 133 millions of dollars for the war effort.
Norman Rockwell is one of America's most well-known and respected artists of the 20th Century. Both a painter and illustrator, his works have enjoyed a broad popular appeal in the U.S. for many years due to their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for the magazine of The Saturday Evening Post, where he worked for more than four decades. In later years, he focused on depicting his deepest concerns and interests through his artwork, including civil rights, America's war on poverty and space exploration.
The size of the colour image is 905mm x 1340mm; with the text and border, the size of the print is 975mm x 1415mm. The final size of the piece, including the linen backing, comes to 1050mm x 1480mm.
The large scale of this print is quite unusual as this work is more readily found in a smaller format (730mm x 1020mm).
Copies of this print are housed in the collections of the Smithsonian, Washington D.C (ID Number: PL.314098.04), the Library of Congress, also Washington D.C. (Call Number: 9333/2005683601) and the Australian War Memorial, Canberra (Accession Number: ARTV00698). Item #4871
Price (AUD): $1,950.00