Sold – Original 1943 Issue “Four Freedoms” Posters, All Signed by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings were inspired by celebrated remarks made in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union address to the 77th Congress on January 6, 1941, in which he said, "We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms people everywhere in the world ought to enjoy – namely freedom of speech and expression, freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear.”

The paintings were published in the pages of "The Saturday Evening Post" magazine for four consecutive weeks from February 20 to March 6, 1943, and were accompanied by essays on each of the freedoms. After their publication, the Office of War Information decided to tour the original paintings around the country to help sell war bonds. Over the next few weeks, they were seen by 1,222,000 people and were instrumental in raising more than $132 million in sales of war bonds. In a personal letter to Rockwell, President Roosevelt wrote, "I think you have done a superb job in bringing home to the plain, everyday citizen the plain, everyday truths behind the ‘Four Freedoms.’"

In "Freedom of Speech," Rockwell depicts an ordinary man, standing amongst neighbors at a town meeting and speaking his mind. Rockwell’s neighbor, Jim Edgerton, served as inspiration for the figure. "Freedom from Want" shows members of a large family celebrating a Thanksgiving meal. The Rockwell family cook, Mrs. Thaddeus Wheaton, places the holiday turkey on the table that extends below the edge of the canvas, as if inviting the viewer to join in the feast. In "Freedom of Worship," Rockwell departs from his established story-telling style and illustrates in close-up profile a group of praying men and women, lit by a soft, golden light. The people vary in age, race and religion and above them appears the phrase, "Each according to the dictates of his own conscience." Lastly, in "Freedom from Fear," the artist portrays a mother tucking in her two sleeping children, while the pensive father stands nearby, holding a newspaper with headlines about the bombing of foreign cities.

At the same time, the Government Printing Office produced posters of each of the Four Freedoms. They were made in two sizes, 32 by 59 inches and 20 by 28 inches. These were folded, placed in government envelopes and distributed through the mail to schools, individuals, businesses and government faciltities. Since then, these famous posters have been reproduced innumerable times, and they have been the subjects of postage stamps, puzzles, tins, plates, T-shirts and more.

Four original Office of War Information posters, one for each of the Four Freedoms, 1943, 20 by 28 inches, all signed by Rockwell. This is the first such signed set that we have seen.