Arnold Friberg
Encyclopedia
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
noted for his religious and patriotic works. He is perhaps best known for his 1975 painting The Prayer at Valley Forge, a depiction of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
praying at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. He is also well known for his 15 "pre-visualization" paintings for the Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
film The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
which were used to promote the film worldwide and for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He has been admitted as a lifetime member of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
. He also did a series of paintings depicting scenes from the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Biography
Friberg was born to a Swedish father and a Norwegian mother. His family moved to ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
when he was three years old, and he began drawing cartoons by the time he was seven. Also when he was seven Friberg's parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friberg was baptized a member of the LDS Church at age eight.
While in high school, Friberg learned by meeting with the artists at The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic is a daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. It was ranked tenth in US daily newspapers by circulation in 2007.-Early years:The newspaper was founded...
, and earned money by creating signs for local businesses while being apprenticed to a local sign painter.
After graduating from high school, Friberg attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, working for various local printers doing commercial art while attending school and for several years afterward. This included calendar work for the Northwest Paper Company, for whom he created paintings of Mounties
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
. Friberg has created more than 300 paintings depicting Mounties, and he is the only American made an honorary member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP). In 1940, Friberg moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began studying under the artist Harvey Dunn
Harvey Dunn
Harvey Thomas Dunn was an American painter. He is best known for his prairie-intimate masterpiece, The Prairie is My Garden. In this painting, a mother and her son and daughter are out gathering flowers from the quintessential prairie of the Great Plains.-Early life:Dunn was born on a homestead...
at the Grand Central School of Art
Grand Central School of Art
The Grand Central School of Art was an American art school in New York City, founded in 1923 by the painters Edmund Greacen, Walter Leighton Clark and John Singer Sargent. The school was established and run by the Grand Central Art Galleries, an artists' cooperative founded by Sargent, Greacen,...
.
With the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Friberg left the Grand Central School of Art and joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
serving in the 86th Infantry Division. He had an offer of the rank of captain to draw recruitment posters for the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
but chose instead to go to the front. He did, however, use his art skills in combat to draw maps and such.
Shortly after the end of the war and setting up shop in San Francisco, Friberg married Hedve Baxter. He made it big creating a series of paintings depicting Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
scenes for a calendar company in 1948. Friberg moved to Utah in 1950 in order to begin teaching commercial art at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. This was partly due to having become friends with Avard Fairbanks
Avard Fairbanks
Avard Tennyson Fairbanks was a prolific 20th century American sculptor. Three of his sculptures are in the United States Capitol, and the state capitols in both Utah and Wyoming, as well as numerous other locations, also have his works...
on a previous visit to Salt Lake City and also a result of doctors recommending that Hedve move to a drier climate for her health. Friberg also hoped to do art work on a grand scale for the LDS Church. Although he did get the commission to do a painting of the first LDS Sunday School, at the time the Church was commissioning few art works and initially Friberg made little progress along these lines.
In 1953, Friberg moved to Hollywood in order to work on the previsualization
Previsualization
Previsualization is a function to visualise complex scenes in movie before filming. It is also a concept in still photography...
paintings commissioned by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
for The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
. Friberg was hired after DeMille was shown some of Friberg's paintings by a friend. At some point during the 1950s, Friberg was commissioned by the Primary Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to create a series of paintings depicting events in The Book of Mormon.
In 1968, Friberg was commissioned by Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
to create a series of paintings showing the greatest moments in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for use in their 1969 advertising campaign. After extensive research on the location during winter and the equipment and gear used by Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldiers, Friberg created his 1975 masterpiece The Prayer at Valley Forge. This depicts George Washington praying while the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
winters at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
during 1777 and 1778. In 1977, he was commissioned to create a series of saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
paintings for the Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget Las Vegas
The Golden Nugget Las Vegas is a luxury casino-hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Fremont Street Experience. The property is owned and operated by Landry's Restaurants....
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Due to his previous work with the RCMP, Friberg was commissioned to paint HRH The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and his horse Centennial (great-grandson of Man o' War
Man O' War (horse)
Man o' War, is considered one of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses of all time. During his career just after World War I, he won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 in purses....
). This led to an additional commission in 1990 to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, also with Centennial. Both portraits were painted at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
Friberg died on July 1, 2010, while recovering from hip replacement surgery in a Salt Lake City care center.
True to the artist's desires, the Utah Cultural Arts Foundation will purchase all of the artwork Friberg possessed at the time of his death for the planned Arnold Friberg Museum of Art. The museum will be at a Utah location that is yet to be determined.
The purchase agreement was signed at Friberg's home on June 21, 2010, the same evening he fell and broke his hip, the injury that led to his death.
Partial list of works
Listed alphabetically by title.| Title | Year | Commissioned by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Intercollegiate Game | 1968 | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
College football - Rutgers vs. Princeton, 1869 1869 college football season The 1869 college football season was the first season of intercollegiate football. It is considered the inaugural college football season, and consisted of only two total games, both of which occurred between the and ; The first was played on November 6 at Rutgers' campus, and the second was... |
| Abinadi Preaches to King Noah | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr... |
| Ammon Defends the Flocks | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Christ Appears in the New World | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| The Consecration of Joshua | Cecil B. DeMille Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies... |
Ten Commandments | |
| Dinner Companions | Western | ||
| End of the Day | Native American | ||
| The Finding of the Infant Moses | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| The Finger of the Lord | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| The First Passover | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| Following the Star | Christmas theme | ||
| Gentleman's Foursome | Western | ||
| Giving of the Law | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| Her Hero | Native American | ||
| Heritage of the Lord | |||
| His First Ride | Western | ||
| Into the Valley | Native American | ||
| Knute Rockne at Notre Dame | 1968 | Chevrolet | College football |
| Lehi Finds the Liahona | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| The Light and the Law | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| The Light of Christ | |||
| Long Trail West | Western | ||
| Maintaining the Right | Mounties | ||
| Mind If I Join You, Gentlemen? | Western | ||
| Mormon Bids Farewell to a Once Great Nation | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Moses and the Burning Bush | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| Nephi Subdues His Brothers | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| The Night Christ Was Born | Christmas theme | ||
| O.J. Simpson Breaks For Daylight | 1968 | Chevrolet | College football – 1967 USC vs. UCLA 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game The 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game was an American College Football game played in the 1967 College Football Season on November 18, 1967. The University of California at Los Angeles, 7–0–1 and ranked Number 1, with senior quarterback Gary Beban as a Heisman Trophy candidate, played the University... |
| Parley in the Forest | Native American, Western | ||
| Parting of the Red Sea | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| The Passing Game | 1968 | Chevrolet | College football – Alabama vs. Tennessee, 1934 |
| Peace Be Still | |||
| The Prayer at Valley Forge | 1975 | George Washington at Valley Forge | |
| Puffing Billy | Mounties | ||
| The Risen Lord | Easter theme | ||
| Sailing to the New World | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Shepherds in the Field | Christmas theme | ||
| The Stripling Soldiers | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Tales of the Force | Mounties | ||
| Thunder Wagon | Western | ||
| Title of Liberty | 1952–1955 | LDS Church | Book of Mormon |
| Trail Ends at the Sea | Mounties | ||
| Trouble for Butterfield | Native American, Western | ||
| Uncertain Odds | Western | ||
| The Wagon Wedge | Western | ||
| Waters of Manitou | Native American | ||
| When the Land Was His | Native American | ||
| Winners and Losers | Western | ||
| Winter at Valley Forge | George Washington at Valley Forge | ||
| Word of the Lord | Cecil B. DeMille | Ten Commandments | |
| Yielding the Right of Way | Western |
External links
- Friberg Fine Art (official site)
- Friberg's LDS paintings
- Arnold Friberg Fine Art