“FREEDOM FROM WANT”
By Norman Rockwell
This famous Norman Rockwell painting here called "Freedom from Want" showing the classic American Thanksgiving. This painting is also known as Thanksgiving Dinner.While ubiquitous, the painting never fails to hold people's interest, brings minor awe at its structure and draws out at least some kind of emotion, even those in other countries who understand the concept.
Rockwell's ideal there may have already been pined for back in 1943 when it was first painted, despite family units having at least slightly better cohesion in those days. And when you add what inspired Rockwell's painting to that mix during World War II, we can get a better context of the painting to the current state of things. That inspiration came from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his famous January, 1941 speech to Congress outlining his vision of "Four Freedoms". Freedom From Want, was one in a series of paintings that Norman Rockwell created to celebrating American freedoms.
Rockwell's ideal there may have already been pined for back in 1943 when it was first painted, despite family units having at least slightly better cohesion in those days. And when you add what inspired Rockwell's painting to that mix during World War II, we can get a better context of the painting to the current state of things. That inspiration came from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his famous January, 1941 speech to Congress outlining his vision of "Four Freedoms". Freedom From Want, was one in a series of paintings that Norman Rockwell created to celebrating American freedoms.
Norman Rockwell's painting Freedom From Want shows a family sitting down to a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of gathering together to be with those whom we love the most, our families. Freedom From Want shows a traditional American family sitting down to a dinner table. A mother and father stand at the head of the table, and it is the mother who presents the beautiful turkey ready to carve and eat. Standing behind the cook and mother, is the father, who gazes down lovingly at the feast to be, his fingertips rest lightly on the table ready to carve the bird. The window behind them has sheer white curtains that frame the dark, formal suit worn by the patriarch of the family. To break the symmetry of the background, Rockwell has included a part of a framed picture on the right side of the painting.
The nine other characters in this Thanksgiving scene by Norman Rockwell all play supporting parts. We see a little girl at the far end on the left side as she smiles and looks up the table at viewer. Next to her is a mischievous looking younger male who slyly eyes the dad in lower right corner who meets viewer eye directly with his own smiling gaze. Family members young and old are happy and conversing excitedly, in anticipation of their Thanksgiving Day feast. All of the people in this painting lean forward, so that compositionally they may be included in the picture frame, but it is also the pose of people talking over each other and trying to be heard. One can almost hear the cacophony of voices at this lovely holiday table. The cut-off figures give the feeling of a photographic snapshot that has been hastily cropped.The other main character in this painting is the viewer. We are at the head of the table, looking down at our family as if we are a part of this family’s Thanksgiving Day meal, and indeed we are.
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