Rockwell’s finest.

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Freedom from want.

Painted in November, 1942, Norman Rockwell’s most famous illustration shows the American family gathered around the Thanksgiving table, with the cook delivering an enormous bird, to the delight of the assembled family and friends. It’s a masterpiece of ‘white on white’ painting. You can read the full history here.

This painting, its kitschy and exclusively white aspects notwithstanding, holds a special place in my mind for it always reminds me of my first Thanksgiving in America, after immigrating in November, 1977. I confess I had never heard of the feast, my native England not exactly a place which celebrates agricultural plenitude. You can read more about my first experiences in my new home here.

Quite how Americans managed to afford such a generous meal in times of war time austerity mystifies me yet today, in Pig’s America, 40 million poor people are being forced to choose between paying for food or for shelter. May he rot in hell.

Rockwell was a superb illustrator, For more on art illustration click here.