Friberg was born to a
Swedish father and a
Norwegian mother. He had an offer of the rank of captain to draw recruitment posters for the
United States Army Air Corps but chose instead to go to the front. He did, however, use his art skills in combat to draw maps. Friberg's paintings included costume design for the main characters, for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award. In 1968, Friberg was commissioned by
Chevrolet to create a series of paintings showing the greatest moments in
college football, including
The First Game, played in
New Brunswick, New Jersey on November 6, 1869, between
Rutgers College and the visiting
College of New Jersey, for use in their 1969 advertising campaign. After extensive research on the location during winter and the equipment and gear used by
Revolutionary War soldiers, Friberg created his 1975 painting
The Prayer at Valley Forge. This depicts George Washington praying while the
Continental Army winters at Valley Forge in
Pennsylvania during 1777 and 1778. ==Partial list of works==