The first internationally touring exhibition devoted to Rockwell’s iconic depictions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms launches at the New-York Historical Society in May. The traveling exhibition, which was organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, explores how Rockwell’s 1943 paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Fear, and Freedom from Want—gave visual voice to Roosevelt’s call to the defense of freedom worldwide and took their place among the most enduring images in the history of American art. In addition to Rockwell’s Four Freedoms, the exhibition encompasses numerous other examples of painting, illustration, and more, by both Rockwell and a broad range of his contemporaries, as well as historical documents, photographs, videos, artifacts, and interactive digital displays, all on the theme of the Four Freedoms, from FDR’s initial enunciation of them as a reason to enter the War to their powerful post-war legacy. A companion exhibition – Reimagining the Four Freedoms, will be on view concurrently at Casa Lally, at Hunter College. Following New-York Historical, the exhibition travels to The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI; The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C.; Mémorial de Caen, Normandy, France; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX ; and the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA.

The exhibition catalogue, Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms, is available for purchase from the NYHistory Store.

This exhibition was organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Leadership support for Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms is provided by Jay Alix, The Alix Foundation, and the George Lucas Family Foundation. National presenting sponsor is The Travelers Companies, Inc. Major support provided by an anonymous donor, Michael Bakwin, Helen Bing, Elephant Rock Foundation, Heritage Auctions, Ford Foundation, Annie and Ned Lamont, National Endowment for the Arts, and Ted Slavin. Additional support provided by Anthony and Susan Consigli, Ralph and Audrey Friedner, Louise Holland, and our GoFundMe supporters. Media sponsorship has been provided by Curtis Licensing, a division of The Saturday Evening Post and The Norman Rockwell Family Agency.

Lead support for the exhibition at New-York Historical provided by Bernard L. Schwartz, The Mr. & Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Foundation for the Arts, Laurie and Sy Sternberg, and Rosalind P. Walter. Additional support provided by Anonymous, Leslie Himmel and Alan Shuch, Paula and Tom McInerney, Ira and Susan Millstein, Ira L. Unschuld in memory of Fay Unschuld, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Judi and Douglas Krupp, Monie and T. Chandler Hardwick, Karen and Paul Isaac, Fiona and Eric Rudin, Pam and Scott Schafler, Judy and Josh Weston, Belinda and Charles Bralver, Gerry Lenfest, Michele and Martin Cohen, Merle and Barry Ginsburg, Edythe Gladstein, Susan and Elihu Rose, Mrs. Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, Reina Marin Bassini and Emilio Bassini, Lynn Povich and Steve Shepard, Robert A.M. Stern, Susan and Warren Stern, and Rabbi Malcolm Thomson. Family Programs for Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms is supported by Humanities New York.