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Friberg, Arnold, 1913-2010

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1913 - 2010

Biographical History

Arnold Friberg (1913-2010) was a famous artist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Arnold Friberg was born December 21, 1913 in Illinois to Sven Friberg and Ingeborg Solberg Friberg. He moved with his family to Arizona when he was three years old, where his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began as a painting apprentice at the age of 13. After high school, Friberg attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, after which he moved to New York, where he studied at the Grand Central School of Art and worked for advertising agencies and painted covers for The Saturday Evening Post and other magazines. He was drafted into the Army during World War II and was asked to work as an artist with the rank of captain. Instead he chose to go into the infantry as an enlisted man. He served in Europe and in the Pacific. He married Hedve Mae Baxter, who died in 1986, and then remarried Heidi Miller Grosskopf in 1989. He had four children (two of which were step-children.)

From early in his career, Friberg was a well-known artist. He received commissions from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to paint images for them, as well as receiving a commission from Cecil B. DeMille to paint advertising images for The Ten Commandments. He is well known among the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for painting scenes from the Book of Mormon. His most famous painting is entitled "Prayer at Valley Forge," and depicts George Washington kneeling in prayer.

Friberg died on July 1, 2010 from complications after hip replacement surgery.

Citation:
Martin, Douglas. "Arnold Friberg, Painter of Historical Scenes, Is Dead at 96." New York Times, July 3, 2010. Accessed April 12, 2013. (born December 21, 1913 in Illinois; moved with his family to Arizona when he was three years old, where his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; began as a painting apprentice at the age of 13; after high school, Friberg attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts; moved to New York, where he studied at the Grand Central School of Art, and worked for advertising agencies and painted covers for The Saturday Evening Post and other magazines; drafted into the Army during World War II and was asked to work as an artist with the rank of captain; chose to go into the infantry as an enlisted man; served in Europe and in the Pacific; married Hedve Mae Baxter, who died in 1986, and then remarried Heidi Miller Grosskopf in 1989; received commissions from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to paint images for them, as well as receiving a commission from Cecil B. DeMille to paint advertising images for The Ten Commandments; painted scenes from the Book of Mormon; most famous painting is entitled "Prayer at Valley Forge," and depicts George Washington kneeling in prayer; died on July 1, 2010 from complications after hip replacement surgery.)

Ancestry.com, via WWW. Accessed April 12, 2013. (Arnold Friberg, b. 1913.) (born December 21, 1913 to Sven and Ingeborg Solberg Friberg; married Hedve Mae Baxter; remarried Heidi Miller Grosskopf in 1989; died July 1, 2010.)

WikiPedia.org, via WWW. Accessed April 12, 2013. (most famous image is "Prayer at Valley Forge," born December 21, 1913; moved to Arizona as a kid; attended Chicago Academy of Fine Arts; moved to New York; taught at the University of Utah; married Heidi Miller Grosskopf; has four children.)

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Arnold Friberg paintings for The Ten Commandments

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 8821
Abstract

Collection of eight artistic renderings of Moses created by Arnold Friberg as commissioned by Cecil B. DeMille for the 1956 film The Ten Commandments.

Dates: approximately 1956

Arnold Friberg production art for The Ten Commandments

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 8981
Scope and Contents

Collection contains original hand-drawn pieces of production artwork and sketches created by Arnold Friberg for the 1956 film The Ten Commandments. Dated approximately 1955.

Dates: approximately 1955

Kenneth Cleon Madsen portfolio and other material

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3103
Scope and Contents

Portfolio includes correspondence with family members, Arnold Friberg, and others. Also includes sketches, newspaper clippings, representative copies of commercial and fine art work, and a framed Arnold Friberg print. Materials date from 1949 to 2002.

Dates: 1949-2002

Kenneth Madsen collection on Arnold Friberg

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 8183
Scope and Contents

Contains materials related to the work of Arnold Friberg. Includes numerous catalogs and pamphlets for ordering Friberg's prints, newspaper articles about Friberg, and some personal papers. Also includes a program from the funeral service of his wife Hedve, a clipping from the Engisn magazine on Friberg, and order forms from Friberg Fine Prints. Other materials include programs from services and ceremonies honoring Friberg. Dated 1973-1994.

Dates: 1973-1994

Ten Commandments costume continuity book

 Collection — Box 1: [Barcode: 31197232550100]
Identifier: MSS 5783
Scope and Contents

Black loose-leaf binder containing 149 8x10 inch black-and-white photographs of costume sketches for The Ten Commandments (1956). The sketches were done by Arnold Friberg, Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, John Jensen, and Ralph Jester. The binder was compiled by Head, who used it to check and maintain costume continuity for the production.

Dates: 1954-1956

Additional filters:

Subject
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 3
Fine Arts 3
Ten commandments (Motion picture : 1956) 2
Art, American -- Utah 1
Artists -- Utah 1