

Disappointed, Rockwell stopped at Curtis Publishing Company in Philadelphia on his way home and presented his concept to Post editor Ben Hibbs. The timing was wrong-the Ordnance Department did not have the resources for another commission. Rockwell made some sketches and, accompanied by fellow Saturday Evening Post artist Mead Schaeffer, went to Washington to propose his ideas.

That night he awoke with the realization that he could best paint the Four Freedoms from the perspective of his own experiences, using everyday scenes as his guide. While considering his options, Rockwell by chance attended a town meeting where a Vermont neighbor was met with respect when he rose among his neighbors to voice an unpopular view. Finding new ideas for paintings never came easily, but this was a greater challenge. But Rockwell wanted to do more for the war effort and determined to illustrate Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms. Posters featuring Let’s Give Him Enough and On Time were distributed to munitions factories throughout the country to encourage production.
