Norman Percevel Rockwell was an American author, painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades.

During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered a State of the Union speech in which he spoke of four basic freedoms he dreamed of being available to everyone in the world.

“In the future days…we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms .The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want…everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear…that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.”

Artist Norman Rockwell interpreted these freedoms in a series of popular paintings published by the Saturday Evening Post in 1943, the Four Freedoms series: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.

Poster prints of Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” were sold by the United States Government to raise money for the war department and inspire patriotism in the American public.

Consider the concept of freedom. What does it mean to the American people today? Create a meaningful illustration(s) of the ways these four freedoms play out in our lives today.

Take a look at this video by Tim Needles, an award-winning artist and educator from Port Jefferson, New York, he has taught art and media for twenty years.. His video presents forty opinions on the state of the Four Freedoms today. The artist invited a diverse group of residents to offer their thoughts, which he captured first-hand. “A range of interpretations are represented,” notes Needles, who invited contemporary consideration of Roosevelt’s ideals.

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