Freedom from poverty/ 1943/ oil paint/ Norman Rockwell Museum, Massachusetts

Freedom from Poverty is the third oil painting from Rockwell's Four Freedoms collection. This painting is inspired by the "State of the United States" speech delivered by Franklin Roosevelt to the United States Congress on January 6, 1941, known as the Four Freedoms Speech.

This drawing was published on the March 6, 1943 cover of the "Saturday Evening Post" magazine. All of the people in the painting are relatives and friends of Rockwell's in Arlington, Vermont. Rockwell photographed all of them separately and used these photos to create his work. This work depicts a group of people gathered around the dining table to eat lunch on a holiday. Rockwell's use of Thanksgiving customs in the work has made the work separately become a symbol of the Thanksgiving holiday and the gathering of all family members. "Saturday Evening Post" published this painting with an essay by Carlos Bulosan. Bulosan spoke on behalf of those who were suffering from domestic socio-economic difficulties instead of external socio-political difficulties, and this made him stand out. Although the image was popular in the United States of America, it caused protests in Europe, which was caught up in World War II and was going through difficult times. . Artistically, this work is an acclaimed example of overcoming the challenge of using white on white and is considered one of Rockwell's most celebrated works.

 Norman Perceval Rockwell was a contemporary American painter and illustrator.  His works had a populist orientation. In America, Rockwell was best known for her cover illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post magazine. His paintings were on the cover of this magazine for more than four decades.

Prepared and arranged by: Narges Saheb Ekhtiari