Image: Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Thomas Jefferson's Oath (1951), New Canaan, CT

Description: “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” These majestic words of Thomas Jefferson were taken from a letter Jefferson wrote to Dr. Benjamin Rush on September 23, 1800, shortly before becoming the third president of the United States. It is tyranny which Szyk addresses in this illumination; tyranny as the mythic dragon, the snake covered hissing harpy out to devour mankind. Holding the beast at bay is one lone man, a G.I., with not a gun, but a simple spear. This illumination, painted the year of his death, was one of Szyk’s last. World War II had been over for only a few years and its memory was still very fresh. For a Polish national whose family did not survive Hitler, the words [painted as a side bar] “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time,” were heartbreakingly real. It has long been noted that an immigrant’s patriotism often shines the brightest. Arthur Szyk embraced the democratic idealism of America long before he actually became a naturalized citizen. A student of history, he had a tremendous admiration for our country’s founding fathers and his astonishing talent, allowed him to intricately paint these heroes. Though it was Jefferson who voiced this noble oath nearly 200 years ago, it is certainly Szyk’s proclamation as well.
Title: Arthur Szyk (1894-1951). Thomas Jefferson's Oath (1951), New Canaan, CT
Credit: The Arthur Szyk Society, Burlingame, CA (www.szyk.org)
Author: Arthur Szyk
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