How does this artwork elucidate its Rockwell and World War II?
Between 1916 and his December 16, 1963 Kennedy Memorial cover, Rockwell created 322 magazine covers for The Saturday Evening Post, which was once the most widely read American magazine. In a pre-electronic era where mass production magazine color illustration was the most popular form of media, Rockwell became a national name, and by the 1950s was rivaled only by Walt Disney for his familiarity to the public among visual artists. During World War I, Rockwell had taken a bit of a back seat to more established illustrators under The Post editorship of George Horace Lorimer, who had died in 1937. Unfettered by Lorimer's restrictions, Rockwell saw the opportunity to illustrate the Four Freedoms as the chance of a lifetime.Rockwell's covers highlighted the human aspect of the American war effort. The illustrations supported the effort by promoting war bonds and encouraging women to work and men to enlist. They employed themes of patriotism, longing, shifting gender roles, reunion, love, work, community, and family. In his role as a magazine illustrator during times of war, Rockwell draws comparisons to Winslow Homer, an American Civil War illustrator for Harper's Weekly.The Four Freedoms had become an important theme for Artists for Victory. The consortium was one of several artists' organizations that provided the government with promotional artwork for the war. It also sponsored exhibits about global peace.Rockwell was perceived as apolitical, but advocated "tolerance for differences, courtesy, kindness, and the freedoms that Roosevelt articulated". He believed Roosevelt's freedoms were worth fighting for, and he made numerous artistic contributions to the war efforts apart from the Four Freedoms. He is widely known for his idealized fictional wartime character Willie Gillis and his depiction of Rosie the Riveter. Some of his other war art is known by name, such as War News and Homecoming Soldier. He was responsible for encouraging individual monetary support of the war through posters like the 1943 Hasten the Homecoming.
Rosie the Riveter idealized Walt Disney Willie Gillis Harper's Weekly Four Freedoms The Saturday Evening Post illustrator covers Winslow Homer George Horace Lorimer mass production American Civil War Kennedy war bond