Focus on this artwork and discuss the Background.
Freedom from Fear is the last of a series of four oil paintings entitled Four Freedoms, painted by Norman Rockwell. The works were inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a State of the Union Address delivered to the 77th United States Congress on January 6, 1941; the speech itself is often called the Four Freedoms. The Four Freedoms theme was eventually incorporated into the Atlantic Charter, and it became part of the charter of the United Nations. The series of paintings was printed in The Saturday Evening Post, accompanied by essays from noted writers, on four consecutive weeks in early 1943: Freedom of Speech (February 20), Freedom of Worship (February 27), Freedom from Want (March 6) and Freedom from Fear (March 13). Eventually, the series was widely distributed in poster form and became instrumental in the U.S. Government's Second War Bond Drive.
The Blitz was a period of sustained strategic bombing of the United Kingdom by Germany during the Second World War. Between 7 September 1940 and 21 May 1941, sixteen British cities were hit by major aerial raids. Beginning on 7 September 1940, London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights. Overall, more than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged during the Blitz, and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, almost half of them in London.
Luftwaffe United Nations State of the Union Address State of the Union the Blitz essay Second World War Four Freedoms Freedom of Worship 77th United States Congress Atlantic Franklin D. Roosevelt The Blitz Freedom of Speech Atlantic Charter Freedom from Want strategic bombing Saturday Evening Post The Saturday Evening Post oil painting Norman Rockwell United Kingdom Germany