The Story Behind Norman Rockwell’s Iconic Thanksgiving Scene

https://news.artnet.com ^ | Nov 24 2025 | Katie White

[Beowulf9]

Norman Rockwell’s Freedom From Want is one of the most iconic (and parodied) paintings of the 20th century—it’s the Thanksgiving painting we know without even necessarily knowing its name.

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TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food
KEYWORDS: america; art; freedomfromwant; rockwell; thanksgiving

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Rockwell survives even after the weirdos and "iconoclasts" of his day have long been forgotten.

[clearcarbon]

"Grandma’s strong."

Her right hand is shaking a little. Oops!

[Varsity Flight]

Appetizer:

Then comes....

* Dressing

* Sweet 🍠

* Potatoes 🥔

* Cranberry sauce

* Green bean casserole

* Mince meat pie 🥧

* Pumpkin pie

* Fresh baked banana 🍌 cream pie

[Secret Agent Man]

Pretty safe country then, compared to now.

[Secret Agent Man]

You forget the silver turine on the table, mashed potatoes stuffing or yams. Its covered but thats whats in there.

[Chgogal]

Everything was rationed in 1943.

[Secret Agent Man]

Norman Rockwell Photos pretty much embody the basic ideals of what we’d like/desire the country to return to, for ALL people here, not just whites.

[Secret Agent Man]

Rockwell is the kind of truth liberals scream against and want to thrown down a memory hole.

Heck JFK is someone they would scream down forbeing so far right off the current lintard extremists in office snd elsewhere. Now, JFK would be railed as MAGA.

[antceecee]

Love your comments. When I was a young person studying art in college, Rockwell was presented to us as an “illustrator” not as an “Artist”.
To me he was an artist. He captured what he experienced and could see around him. He captured life being lived.

[ArcadeQuarters]

Tragic. They must have had a terrible time.

[Adder]

A great painting for sure.
I never really noticed but no one is actually looking at Grandma and the turkey...

I don’t have much as far as art appreciation...to me anyone could do a Pollard, for example...but Rockwell knew how to speak with his brushes...

[Jane Long]

Looks like just about EVERY pre-1970s American Family’s Thanksgiving table.

(I could be off by a few years, give, or take.)

[Sirius Lee]

Only turkey, celery and a fruit for dinner. Actually very slim pickings for an American thanksgiving table.

Actually, the guy with the evil grin at the bottom right hand corner is bogarting all the rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy and butter at his end of the table. He chose his seat wisely.

[Ditto]

People then, and now, still criticize Rockwell, because he was basically anti post-modern

Rockwell was a Commercial Artist… he wasn't attempting to make any deep esoteric statements that only he could understand. He simply painted life as he saw it and by doing so spoke volumes.