If his paintings speak so well of another time, he said, it's partly because "I belong in the 19th century — my outlook, my mentality. Now, they talk about digital this and digital that, and it makes my head spin."

But his art also resonates, he believes, "because I like to tell stories. I'm an illustrator. A lot of artists don't want to be illustrators, but I say, 'What's the difference?' When I start out I want to make as beautiful a statement pictorially as I can. And I always did a great variety. I didn't want to be known just as Mr. West or Mr. Bible."

Yes, he says with a degree of pride, "I can paint horses well. A lot of things have come to me because of that. Not everyone can do horses well. Some are quite dismal. You have to do a lot of study. You can never learn enough; you have to keep studying."

His love of horses was one reason he did the Washington painting. "I wanted to show the companionship between man and horse. Everyone who knew Washington said that he was the finest horseman in Virginia, but no one had done him with his horse."

And no, it is not just a man and his horse, but an "affirmation of faith, patriotic duty and the deep spiritual depths in the founding of the country."

As Friberg has long said, "Art is always best when serving a cause greater than the artist." That's why he would love to see that painting find a permanent home at Valley Forge.

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com