Art in Rockefeller Center
The mosaics, murals, and sculptures that grace Rockefeller Center—many of them Art Deco masterpieces—were part of John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s plans. In 1932, he put together a team of advisers to find artists who could make the project "as beautiful as possible." Some artists scoffed at the idea of decorating an office building: Picasso declined to meet with Rockefeller, and Matisse replied that busy businessmen wouldn’t be in the "quiet and reflective state of mind" needed to appreciate his art. Those who agreed to contribute, including muralists Diego Rivera (from Mexico) and José María Sert (from Spain), were relatively unknown, though a group of American artists protested Rockefeller's decision to hire "alien" artists. More than 50 artists contributed 200 works.
As Rockefeller Center neared completion in 1932, Rockefeller still needed a mural for the lobby of the main buildings, and he wanted the subject to be grandiose: "human intelligence in control of the forces of nature." He hired Rivera. Man at the Crossroads, with its depiction of massive machinery moving mankind forward, seemed exactly what Rockefeller wanted—until it was realized that a portrait of Soviet Premier Vladimir Lenin surrounded by red-kerchiefed workers occupied a space in the center. Rockefeller, who was building what was essentially a monument to capitalism, was less than thrilled. When Rivera was accused of propagandizing, he famously replied, "All art is propaganda."
Rivera refused to remove the offending portrait and, in early 1934, as Rivera was working, representatives for Rockefeller informed him that his services were no longer required. Within a half hour, tar paper had been hung over the mural. Despite negotiations to move the artwork to the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller was determined to get rid of the mural once and for all. Not content to have it painted over, he ordered ax-wielding workers to chip away the entire wall. He commissioned a less offensive one (by Sert) instead.
Rivera had the last word, though: he re-created the mural in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, adding a portrait of Rockefeller among the Champagne-swilling swells ignoring the plight of the workers.
The largest of the original artworks that remains is Lee Lawrie's 2-ton sculpture, Atlas. Its building also stirred up controversy, as it was said to resemble Italy's fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. The sculpture, depicting a muscle-bound man holding up the world, drew protests in 1936. Some even derided Paul Manship's golden Prometheus, which soars over the ice-skating rink, when it was unveiled the same year. Both are now considered to be among the best public artworks of the 20th century.
Lawrie's sculpture Wisdom, over the main entrance of 20 Rockefeller Plaza, is another gem. Also look for Isamu Noguchi's stainless-steel plaque News over the entrance of 50 Rockefeller Plaza and Attilio Piccirilli's 2-ton glass-block panel Youth Leading Industry over the entrance of the International Building at 636 5th Avenue.
