ARTIST: Dennis Lyall (Texas, Connecticut, born 1946)
NAME: Kennedy's Speech in Berlin
YEAR: 2002
MEDIUM: oil on canvas. Canvas applied to board.
CONDITION: Excellent. No visible inpaint under UV light.
SIGHT SIZE: 15 x 13 inches / 38 x 33 cm
BOARD SIZE: 19 x 16 inches / 48 x 40 cm
SIGNATURE: lower right
NOTE: This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commerative Cover for Old Glory's Proudest Moments postmarked on the anniversary June 26, 2002. The American flag is recognized worldwide as a symbol of freedom. For 45 years following World War II, the concept of freedom was put to the test in a series of confrontations between communist and non-communist blocs of states. One of the most dramatic moments in the Cold War took place in central Europe. In 1961 East German leader Walter Ulbricht ordered the construction of a concrete, stone and barbed wire "antifascist protection barrier" through the heart of Berlin. The real purpose of the Berlin Wall, however, was to prevent a mass exodus of East Berliners from seeking freedom in the West. On June 26, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy made a historic and rousing speech to a Berlin crowd gathered in the shadow of the somber Wall. Standing on the steps of the Rathouse Sch?neberg, Kennedy denounced the Wall as a vivid demonstration of the failure of the Communist system, an offense against history but also against humanity because it separated people who wish to be joined together. More than a million Germans roared their approval as Kennedy declared, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ... "I am a Berliner." It was one of the most uplifting statements in the history of man, a heartening reminder to a divided Germany that freedom is indivisible, and that when one man is enslaved no one is free. Nearly four decades later, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, Germans flew the American flag and proclaimed, "Ich bin ein Amerikaner" ... "I am an American."
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: antique vintage painting
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BIOGRAPHY:
Dennis Lyall is an artist and illustrator with more than 40 years of experience in working with many of the biggest advertisers and publishers in the U.S. A native of Iowa, Dennis doesn't remember a day during his childhood when he didn't have a pencil in his hand. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1968, and while he was still a student (a junior), he was awarded a Gold Medal for his artwork by the Society of Illustrators in New York. After graduating from college, Dennis began his professional career as a commercial illustrator in Houston, Texas, working for a commercial art studio then opening his own studio and working as a freelance illustrator. In the late 1970s, after finding an agent in New York City -- the "mecca" for commercial illustrators at the time -- Dennis moved his family (wife and daughter) to Norwalk, Connecticut, which is about 50 miles outside of "the City." Dennis is familiar with all forms of artistic expression, but most of his finished work is oil on canvas. And he has worked in all genres, including commercial illustration, portraiture, marine- and Western-style painting. His assignments over the years have included portraits of the 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution and more than 40 postage stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. He also has work in many private collections across the country, plus with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Texas Historical Commission and Northeastern Utilities.