MASTERPIECES FROM THE BEN URI COLLECTION
BARNETT FREEDMAN (1901-1958)
D-DAY PREPARATIONS: BRIEFINGS
BARNETT FREEDMAN
Depicting the tense atmosphere of strategic military planning, D-Day Preparations (Briefings) captures the quiet intensity of Allied commanders as they prepared for the Normandy invasion Commissioned during his tenure as an Official War Artist, the work captures the interior of the War Room at the Portsmouth Ar-
my Base, where Allied commanders convened to strategise the monumental operation The composition, though unfinished, conveys a palpable sense of anticipation and gravity A solitary officer, poised before a vast map, dominates the scene, embodying the focus and resolve of the assembled military personnel. The sparse furnishings and subdued colour palette underscore the utilitarian nature of the space, emphasising the primacy of purpose over comfort. Freedman’s artistic approach reflects his dual commitment to realism and humanism While capturing the architectural and logistical aspects of military operations, he also subtly alludes to the individuals whose lives were intertwined with these preparations This synthesis of technical precision and empathetic portrayal aligns with Freedman’s broader oeuvre, which includes works like 15-Inch Gun Turret, HMS Repulse and Interior of a Submarine D-Day Preparations thus not only documents a pivotal historical moment but also honours the collective effort and sacrifice inherent in wartime mobilisation
Barnett Freedman was born in London’s East End to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents. Between the ages of nine and thirteen, he was confined by ill health to the London Hospital and worked afterwards as a signwriter, stonemason’s assistant and architect’s assistant, latterly attending evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art Through the intervention of Sir William Rothenstein he won the London County Council Scholarship and studied at the Royal College of Art (1922–25) under Paul Nash, himself an Official War Artist during both wars. In 1928 Freedman became a still life instructor at the RCA and later taught at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford, under Albert Rutherston (Rothenstein’s younger brother) He held his first exhibition at the Bloomsbury Bookshop in 1929 and his realist style in this period is linked to that of the Euston Road School Freedman afterwards became well-known for his commercial illustration and poster work for notable clients, such as the London Underground, and carried out a number of commissions in this post including designing publicity for Shell, the BBC and the General Post Office and Ealing Films In 1935 he designed the George V Silver Jubilee postage stamp Freedman also became a successful and prolific book illustrator and book jacket designer His illustrations include work for Faber and Faber, such as Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (1931), The Folio Society, and the Baynard and Curwen Presses Using pen and chalk for reproduction by line blocks for black and white and autolithography for colour, Freedman developed an immediately recognisable style He also became a distinguished letterer and typographer Barnett Freedman died in London, England on 4 January 1958 His work can be found in UK collections including the Ben Uri Collection, the Imperial War Museum, Museums Sheffield, Nottingham City Museums & Galleries, Pallant House Gallery, Salford Museum & Art Gallery and Tate In 1958 an Arts Council retrospective was held at the Tate Gallery, followed by a further retrospective, 'Barnett Freedman: Designs for Modern Britain', at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester in 2020.
COLLECTION: https://benuri.org/collections/
BURU: https://www.buru.org.uk/
