Arnold Friberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arnold Friberg
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| Born | December 21, 1913 Winnetka, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | July 1, 2010 (aged 96) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
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| Known for | Oil painting |
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Notable work
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The Prayer at Valley Forge |
Arnold Friberg (born December 21, 1913 – died July 1, 2010) was a famous American artist. He was known for his amazing paintings that showed religious and patriotic scenes. One of his most well-known works is The Prayer at Valley Forge. This painting shows George Washington praying during the winter at Valley Forge.
Friberg also created 15 special paintings for the movie The Ten Commandments. These paintings helped people imagine what the movie would look like. They were used to promote the film all over the world. For his work on the movie, he was even nominated for an Academy Award. He was also made a lifetime member of the Royal Society of Arts. Friberg also painted scenes from the Book of Mormon for a children's magazine.
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Arnold Friberg's Life Story
Arnold Friberg was born in Illinois, USA. His father was from Sweden, and his mother was from Norway. When Arnold was three, his family moved to Arizona. He started drawing cartoons when he was just seven years old. Around that time, his parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Arnold was baptized a member of the Church when he was eight.
Becoming an Artist
In high school, Arnold learned a lot from artists at The Arizona Republic newspaper. He also earned money by making signs for local shops. He worked as an apprentice for a sign painter. After high school, Friberg went to the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. While studying, he worked for printers, creating commercial art. He painted pictures of Mounties for calendars. Friberg painted over 200 Mountie pictures. He is the only American to be made an honorary member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
In 1940, Friberg moved to New York City. There, he studied art with famous artists like Norman Rockwell. His teacher was Harvey Dunn at the Grand Central School of Art.
World War II and Moving West
When World War II began, Friberg joined the United States Army. He served in the 86th Infantry Division. He could have become a captain to draw posters for the United States Army Air Corps. But he chose to go to the front lines instead. He still used his art skills to draw maps during combat.
After the war, Friberg moved to San Francisco. He married Hedve Baxter. In 1948, he became famous for a series of paintings. These paintings showed scenes from the American West.
Life in Utah
In 1950, Friberg moved to Utah. He started teaching commercial art at the University of Utah. He had become friends with Avard Fairbanks on an earlier visit. Also, doctors suggested that Hedve move to a drier place for her health.
When the Fribergs arrived in Utah, Arnold was asked to paint a special event. He recreated the first pioneer Sunday school. This painting pleased Adele C. Howells, who was a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She wanted Friberg to paint twelve scenes from the Book of Mormon. These paintings were for a children's magazine called The Children's Friend. The magazine did not have enough money for this project. So, Adele Howells sold her own land to pay for the paintings.
These paintings became very popular. The Church later decided to put them in all copies of the Book of Mormon. Hollywood movie scouts also noticed Friberg's work. They were looking for an artist for Cecil B. DeMille's big movie, The Ten Commandments. DeMille saw Friberg's paintings and hired him. From 1953, Friberg spent three years in Hollywood. He was DeMille's main artist and designer. He created "pre-visualization" paintings for the film. These paintings included costume designs for the main characters. He even got an Academy Award nomination for his work.
Later Works and Royal Portraits
In 1968, Chevrolet asked Friberg to paint famous moments in college football. One painting was The First Game, about the first college football game ever played. In 1975, Friberg created his famous painting The Prayer at Valley Forge. He did a lot of research for this painting. He studied the location and the clothes of the soldiers. The painting shows George Washington praying during the winter of 1777-1778. In 1977, he painted scenes for the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas.
Because of his earlier work with the RCMP, Friberg was asked to paint Prince Charles. He painted the Prince with his horse, Centennial. This led to another important job in 1990. He painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, also with Centennial. Both portraits were painted at Buckingham Palace.
Arnold Friberg passed away on July 1, 2010. He was 96 years old.
See also
- Mormon art
