Freedom from Want | |
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Artist | Norman Rockwell |
Year | 1943 |
Medium | Oil on canvas |
Location | Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA |
Dimensions | 45.75 in × 35.5 in |
116.2 cm × 90 cm |
Norman Rockwell Famous Artwork | |
Freedom of Speech, 1943 | |
Freedom from Want, 1943 | |
Freedom of Worship, 1943 | |
Freedom from Fear, 1943 | |
The Problem We All Live With, 1964 | |
Breaking Home Ties, 1954 | |
Russian Schoolroom, 1967 | |
Rosie The Riveter, 1943 | |
Complete Works |
Freedom from Want is a painting by American artist Norman Rockwell. The painting, which is also known as The Thanksgiving Picture, is an oil on canvas work completed in 1943, and is in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The painting is 45.75 by 35.5 inches.
Inspiration
Rockwell was inspired to do this work by a State of the Union address by President F.D. Roosevelt. The artist painted three other works inspired by the same speech. At the time the work was undertaken, America was involved in World War 2, and the painting is intended to show that despite the difficulties the country was facing, traditional American family values were still highly important.
Composition
The painting depicts three generations of a family around a table at Thanksgiving. The father is standing at the head of the table as the mother is about to place a large turkey in front of him.
The opulence of the turkey is counterbalanced by the relative scarcity of other foods on the table and the presence of water as the only beverage.