The_Prayer_at_Valley_Forge_by_Arnold_Friberg

An artist died on Thursday, July 1—a man whose name you may not know but whose work you surely will recognize. His most famous painting is probably The Prayer at Valley Forge (1975), which hangs today at George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. And if you’ve ever leafed through a copy of The Book of Mormon, the odds are you’ve encountered others of his works; reproductions of his paintings of scenes from that sacred book are bound into many copies. He painted Biblical scenes, nostalgic views of the American West, and great moments in the history of American college football. He was commissioned to paint equestrian portraits of England’s Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth, and his many depictions of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police earned him an honorary membership in that fabled force. He also was nominated, in 1957, for an Academy Award. His name was Arnold Friberg.

In the early 1950s, impressed with Friberg’s work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, director Cecil B. DeMille hired him to work on his monumental film of The Ten Commandments. As assistant art director, Friberg’s first job was to conceptualize key scenes and people as they would appear in the film. As DeMille filmed, he followed Friberg’s sketches and paintings closely. Friberg also designed the film’s opening credits. He received on-screen credit—and his Academy Award nomination—as one of five costume designers on the film. (It was Friberg who designed Moses’ now-iconic robe of dark red striped with black and white.) Friberg’s fifteen paintings of scenes from The Ten Commandments toured the world in 1957 and 1958 and were reproduced in the film’s souvenir program.

In a tribute video from Utah television station KSL, the voice-over reporter notes that “With his stunning use of light, the vibrancy of his colors and his ability to capture the dramatic, American artist Arnold Friberg believed if a work didn’t have heart, it wouldn’t be remembered.” His work does have heart—and majesty, and its own special magic—and it should be remembered.

Comments (6)

6 Comments

steve
July 6th, 2010 | 2:32 pm

I’ve always loved this painting. There’s a controversy as to whether this scene actually took place; but regardless, it’s a beautiful painting.

warren neary
July 6th, 2010 | 4:43 pm

He was a great artist and he will be missed.

jael ruesch aka "jael"
July 6th, 2010 | 5:52 pm

I’ve always been inspired by Arnold’s strong and well composed work, and stories of his individuality would fill volumes. One tale that has nothing to do with his art, but his quirky personality, was when he was teaching the Gospel Doctrine class. It’s been said that at times, he would arrive late, wearing dripping wet hip high rubber boots, over old overalls (and plaid shirt), having “just” completed the irrigating of his fields before needing to be at Church. Whether this is verifiable or not, I don’t know, but it’s a fun to think it may be. Arnold certainly left an indelible mark for many passionate LDS (and other) artists/illustrators, myself included.

I’m positive he’s going to stay busy, eternally refining the great gift he’s been given.

jael

Graham Combs
July 6th, 2010 | 6:26 pm

So who is dramatizing our history, our principles, our beliefs now? BBC History Magazine recently polled several art history teachers who speculated that Britain lost its visual heritage with the end of Catholic England and the Church’s rich imagery. However, for a time, the British (and Irish and Americans et al) replaced that legacy with equally rich, intense, and powerful literary achievements, religious and secular. I look around America today and wonder if we now have only faded remnants of both (as a country with a rich British and Catholic history). Of course the advent of “cool” and “relevancy” and post-modern self-regard may have done considerable damage. Replacing drama with hysteria in Old Navy slouchwear; bold strokes with minimalist self-effacement or feverish comic books; and melody or tunefulness with a bipolar deafening bombast or apologetic pop. (What I wouldn’t give to go the mass and hear A MIGHT FORTRESS IS OUR GOD or the 17th century Doxology, PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. Instead it’s Leonard Cohen’s “Halalujah” or Yusef Islam’s “Morning Has Broken.” A young Mr. Friberg would be snickered at today.) Another “oh well” moment for America. And me. And yes, that portrait of General Washington at prayer moves me almost to tears.

Jon Rowe
July 6th, 2010 | 10:26 pm

GW didn’t kneel during prayer. The story behind the painting is, as alluded to above, regarded as “unconfirmed” by serious historians of GW’s religion.

Raymond Takashi Swenson
July 7th, 2010 | 7:11 pm

Friberg’s painted characters were strong and capable. His paintings of the people gathering around the resurrected Christ, and of Christ stilling the storm, show a Jesus who is clearly the master of Creation, someone you can have confidence in, someone you can believe in.