"These
are the times that try mens souls." So wrote Thomas
Paine, in words of desperation, written in the darkest
hours of our struggle for liberty.
"The
Prayer at Valley Forge" was painted to recall
that bitter cold winter of 1777-78, at the lowest,
most hopeless and discouraging time in our revolutionary
war. In it we feel the cold, the suffering, and the
weight of the burden falling on that tall and lonely
man, driven to his knees there in the bitter snows
of Valley Forge. This painting expresses a powerful
affirmation of faith, patriotic duty, and the deep
spiritual depths in the founding of our country.
It
was at such a time that General Washington humbly beseeched
God Almighty for the strength and the resolution to
endure. Prayer is an important part of America's history,
reflecting the faith of our founding fathers. America's
annual observance of a National
Day of Prayer (the first Thursday of every May)
reminds us all of our dependence upon God.
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. . . . . . . . . . .
The
Eye Witness Testimony of Isaac Potts
This
story is well documented in the historical records.
Isaac Potts, 26 years old, was a resident of Valley
Forge, and as a Quaker was opposed to the war however,
he supervised the grinding of the grain which Washington
ordered the neighboring farmers to bring to his army.
The fullest account of Potts' testimony is in the "Diary
and Remembrances" of Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden,
a Presbyterian minister and a Princeton graduate (Original
Manuscript at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania;
Call no. PHi.Am.1561-1568).
"I
was riding with him (Mr. Potts) near Valley Forge,
where the army lay during the war of the Revolution.
Mr. Potts was a Senator in our state and a Whig.
I told him I was agreeably surprised to find him
a friend to his country as the Quakers were mostly
Tories. He said, "It was so and I was a rank
Tory once, for I never believed that America could
proceed against Great Britain whose fleets and armies
covered the land and ocean. But something very extraordinary
converted me to the good faith."
Close Up of George Washington from "The Prayer
at Valley Forge"
painting by Arnold Friberg
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"What
was that?" I inquired. "Do you see that
woods, and that plain?" It was about a quarter
of a mile from the place we were riding. "There," said
he, "laid the army of Washington. It was a most
distressing time of ye war, and all were for giving
up the ship but that one good man. In that woods," pointing
to a close in view, "I heard a plaintive sound,
as of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling
and went quietly into the woods and to my astonishment
I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone,
with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on
the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies,
beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it
was ye Crisis and the cause of the country, of humanity,
and of the world.
"Such
a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left
him alone praying. I went home and told my wife,
'I saw a sight and heard today what I never saw or
heard before', and just related to her what I had
seen and heard and observed. We never thought a man
could be a soldier and a Christian, but if there
is one in the world, it is Washington. We thought
it was the cause of God, and America could prevail."
.
. . . . . . . . . . .
George
Washington was not known as a great public speaker,
but as he was about to make a speech at the end of
the war, he remembered a slip of paper in his pocket
and he pulled out his glasses. The crowd went silent
when he put his spectacles on as he said, "I
see that you notice that I wear glasses. Well, it was
to be. I've not only grown old and gray, I've
become almost blind in the service of my country." And
with that simple, unrehearsed, spontaneous statement,
everyone was moved to tears as they had been reminded
of who this man was and what he had done for our country.
The
respect for Washington was so great that the first
proposal for his new title, recommended by John Adams,
was, "His Glorious Highness, The President of
the United States and Glorious Protector of Our Liberties." Congressman
William McClay from Pennsylvania basically said, "What's
with Adams? Doesn't he understand what we fought this
thing for? It's to get rid of all of that stuff." But
this story illustrates the high regard congress had
for Washington.
.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Dr.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said
about George Washington, "The reason that I consider
him to be such a hero is... almost no one in human
experience gives up power willingly. Power is
intoxicating and once you have it you don't want to
let it go and [Washington] could have been king. He
could have been monarch for the rest of his life and
passed it on to his heirs, but he served two terms
as president and would not accept a third term. You
talk about greatness. That really speaks to me."
The
world was watching during this moment of when George
Washington said he would give up his power after two
terms as President of the United States. King George
of England said, "If he gives up his power, as
he said he would, he will be the greatest man in the
world." And George Washington did it without
a moments hesitation. Washington said in one of
his letters, "I'd rather be back on my farm in
Virginia than be emperor of the world."
.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Friberg
at work, surrounded by costumes and props used
in the painting.
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"The
Prayer at Valley Forge" is Arnold Friberg's favorite
art piece that he painted through over eight decades
of painting. He originally
painted it in 1975 to honor our country's Bi-centennial
year. In the past 30 years it has become increasingly
cherished and recognized as a supreme masterpiece of
patriotic American art.
Thomas
S. Winter, Editor-in-Chief, Human Events, said of it, "The
Prayer At Valley Forge" is the supreme masterpiece
of one of the few authentic geniuses of American art...
this stunningly realistic depiction of George Washington
on his knees before God marked a very courageous affirmation
of faith, tradition, patriotism, and the true spirit
of America's founding." -
.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Artist's
Notes on The Painting
Washington,
drawn by Friberg at age 12
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"SINCE
I was a boy I have revered George Washington. At
age twelve I drew what I thought was a fine picture
of him astride his white horse. Along with learning
the American legend of his praying at Valley Forge,
this deep inspiration from boyhood days was never
to leave me.
"And
so it was that I waited many years to picture him
again, now in prayer, in the snow, dismounted from
his strong horse, only this time pictured large,
in the full power and richness of oil colors on canvas.
Study
for Washington’s powerful hands. (Both
LaFayette and sculptor Houdon remarked on his
huge hands.)
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"To
prepare for this painting, to insure accuracy in
trees and landscape, I made a pilgrimage to Valley
Forge, in the dead of winter. It was deserted, the
wind moaning through the great trees, silent, lonely,
cold. It was a cold that chilled to the bone, a cold
that froze my fingers until I could no longer sketch
nor even snap my camera.
"To
insure authenticity in man made things, I sought
out whatever museums, collections, libraries, or
informed individuals could offer on clothing or horse
gear. At the Smithsonian Military History Museum
I made minutely accurate sketches from the very uniform
actually worn by Washington. Also I sketched his
sword, spurs, bits and stirrups, still preserved
at Mount Vernon and at Valley Forge Museum. Thus,
so far as historical delving goes, I believe this
picture to be as faithful as is reasonably possible.
Sketch
from Houdon’s sculpture, the head tilted
to proper angle in low sunset light
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"For
Washington’s likeness, I studied every portrait
sketched, carved or painted of him during his lifetime.
But I had to keep in mind that such likenesses were
mostly done several years after the ordeal at Valley
Forge, and so I tried to recall rather how cold and
raw boned he must have looked during that winter
at Valley Forge.
"But
such research, vital as it is, provides only the
physical facts. What I really tried for was, through
the medium of oil paint, to recall the pain, the
cold of that cruel winter of 1777-1778, and to pay
tribute to the tall and heavy-burdened man who alone
held the struggling nation together.
Sketch
from a live horse to record low sunset light
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"For
while the British grew fat and warm and well fed
in Philadelphia, it was the man Washington who stayed
with his starving and freezing army through the dreadful
winter at Valley Forge. It was in desperation that
he wrote the governor of New Jersey, ...'our sick
naked, our well naked, our unfortunate men in captivity
naked!' With his own countrymen indifferent to their
condition, where else could he turn but to God?
Sketch
from a period military saddle
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"We
have heard the oft-repeated historical testimony
of Isaac Potts, who witnessed Washington at prayer.
Yet it should be plain to anyone that this is a symbolic
picture, rather than a minutely provable museum reconstruction.
"For
it is Washington's own words that leave us no doubt
of his deep and humble dependence upon whom he chose
to call, ...'that all wise and powerful Being on
whom alone our success depends.' It is my fervent
hope and prayer that coming through this picture
will once again whisper the spirit of Valley
Forge, of suffering, devotion, and pain, of yearning
for liberty, and of the hand of God in the affairs
of men.
. . . . . . . . . .
About the Artist
Arnold
Friberg, the son of Scandinavian immigrants, was born
on December 21, 1913 in Winnetka Illinois, a suburb
of Chicago. At the age of 3 Arnold moved to Arizona
with his sister, Gertrude, and his parents. By age
7 young Friberg was already drawing original cartoons.
Mr. Friberg remembers, "I never had to take an
aptitude test, I always knew what I wanted to do, art."
The
Fribergs were able to scrape together enough money
to enroll Arnold in a correspondence course at the
age of 10. While in Phoenix, Arizona, young Friberg
often shared his drawings with the newspaper staff
of the Arizona Republican and he learned from them.
During his high school years, Arnold earned money by
making signs for local businesses. After graduating
from high school, he began his studies at the Chicago
Academy of Fine Arts.
While
attending the Academy, Arnold worked part-time for
printers. Arnold stayed in the Chicago area for several
years and worked in the commercial art field. It was
during this time that he became aquainted with the
Northwest Paper Company and their ad campaign featuring
the Canadian Mounties. Little did he know the importance
this would play in his future. In 1940, Arnold moved
to New York City into the publishing world of Manhattan.
While there, he enrolled in night classes at the Grand
Central School of Art, where he studied with Norman
Rockwell under Harvey Dunn, one of the countries top
illustrators.
"Arnold
Friberg is the Phidias of religious art"
- Norman Rockwell
In
1948 Arnold accepted a commission to do scenes of the
American West for a calendar series by the Louis F.
Dow Calendar Company. This would become the start of
his serious interest in the West. By 1950 Arnold and
his wife had moved to Utah, and Arnold started teaching
commercial art at the University of Utah. During his
teaching a great producer and director Cecil B. DeMille
was planning his immense production of "The Ten
Commandments". DeMille was in need of an artist
with both "the rare talent and inner vision to
set down in paint, all of the power, the color, the
human drama." After a long search, which included
Europe, a publisher friend in Sweden sent DeMille prints
of Arnold's scriptural illustrations. Demille knew
he had found his artist.
"Among
the living artists who have dedicated themselves
almost exclusively to religious art, one stands
out for his virility and warmth, dramatic understanding
and truth "
- Cecil B. DeMille
This
led to the Fribergs move to Hollywood in 1953. There,
Arnold worked with Cecil B. DeMille for over three
years on the epic motion picture "The Ten Commandments" as
his chief artist and designer. Arnold worked closely
with DeMille to visualize, through hundreds of sketches
and paintings, a variety of scenes and human characters
for the motion picture. Arnold Friberg's fifteen paintings
for "The Ten Commandments" became the pictorial
basis for the movie's scenes, characters and costumes,
which earned him an Academy Award Nomination.
The
paintings, when unveiled, toured the world, allowing
millions to view them. Cecil B. DeMille estimated that "when
'The Ten Commandment' paintings toured the world, they
were seen by more people than any other paintings except
for some of the most celebrated masterpieces such as
the 'Mona Lisa', 'Nightingale', and 'The Last Supper'." DeMille
also stated that, "Among the living artists who
have dedicated their talents largely to religious art,
Arnold Friberg stands out for his virility and warmth,
dramatic understanding and truth. He has accomplished
a strong and real service in bringing the truth of
the Bible to a wider understanding, appreciation, and
acceptance." In the field of traditional realistic
paintings, Arnold Friberg stands alone as the greatest
living interpreter of Scriptural subjects.
In
1968 the Chevrolet Motor Company, a division of General
Motors, commissioned Mr. Friberg to do a series of
paintings depicting the most famous games in the history
of American intercollegiate football. These paintings
were used during the 1969 advertising campaign and
were among the most demanding and exciting pieces Mr.
Friberg had done. His extensive research included visiting
the Notre Dame Stadium and locker room where Knute
Rockne had coached. These paintings were such a success
that they were taken on tour and shown at universities
throughout the country.
Mr.
Friberg also has great respect for the Native American
culture and a reverence for the land and people of
the early west, which is apparent in his work. Some
of his most fascinating scenes are those in his "Saloon" paintings,
the first of which he did in 1977 for Steven A. Wynn,
the owner of the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas.
Before undertaking that painting, Mr. Friberg did extensive
research. He studied old glass - negative photos of
old time saloons, visited old saloons, and investigated
the type of people who frequented them. He realized
that rather than being 'Dens of Iniquity', saloons
were merely social gathering spots, and he painted
them as such, using great detail in his portrayal.
He even recreated actual authentic paintings found
on the walls in those old saloons. "I
photographed those pictures in old saloons and museums",
said Mr. Friberg, "then I put the final picture
together like I was designing a movie set in order
to make as complete a statement of an old western saloon
as possible. "And", said Friberg, "I
like to give people a lot to look at so they don't
tire of looking at it."
Throughout
his career, Mr. Friberg has painted a variety of themes:
railroads and wagon trains, mountain men and miners,
Indians and religious figures, the U.S. Calvary and
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, canoes and sailing
ships, wildlife and horses. But, if he is to be known
for anything, he hopes it is the horse. Mr. Friberg
prides himself in the detail he uses, especially the
detail he uses in his paintings of horses.
Arnold
Friberg learned to paint horses when he began painting
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the late 1930's
for the Northwest Paper Company Calendars. To date,
he has done almost 300 Mountie paintings, which has
earned him a special place among his subjects. He is
the only American who has ever been made an honorary
member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In
1978 as a result of his work with the Mounties, he
was commissioned to do an almost life-size portrait
of H.R.H. Prince Charles with his great horse "Centennial",
the great-grandson of Man-O-War. This was done at a
studio in the Buckingham Palace. Then in 1990, Mr.
Friberg and his wife was invited back to spend another
six weeks residing in the Buckingham Palace in diligent
preparatory sittings and studies for his commissioned
undertaking of a splendid equestrian portrait of Queen
Elizabeth II and Centennial. Being commissioned to
paint these royal portraits would mean that Mr. Friberg's
name would be included in a list with such great artists
as; Rembrandt, Velazquez, Raphael, Rubens, Van Dyck
and numerous other masters who had painted portraits
of the Royal family.
Mr.
Friberg describes himself as a storyteller. "That's
all I've ever wanted to do, that's why I went into
illustrating." Mr. Friberg now works from his
studio in Salt Lake City. "Art to me is a service,
to bring enrichment to people's lives. That's why I
want my art to be perfectly understood. One of the
things I work for is clarity." That doesn't
mean hard-edged forms, but clarity of the picture:
what time of day, what kind of lighting, where it is.
In
recognition of his spiritual, royal and other historical
paintings, Arnold Friberg was made a life member of
the ancient and honorable Royal Society of Arts, London,
which accounts for the initials R.S.A. after his name.
And while his paintings are realistic and historically
correct, it is Mr. Friberg's extraordinary ability
to capture not only the drama of history, but also
the vibrancy and inner strength of human characteristics
that have earned him the respect and recognition as
one of the greatest masterpainters of modern times.
beclear. I hope no one ever has to explain my picture. |
