RCA Building Murals (by Sert and Brangwyn) (New York, NY) : Raking view of lobby near windows, "Time" on ceiling

Creator:

Brangwyn, Frank, 1867-1956
Sert y Badiá, José Mariá, ca. 1874-1945

Published/Created:

30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York, United States
1930-1941 ; 2009-2011 (restoration)

Physical Description:

16.6 ft (height, information desk panel) x 41 ft (length, information desk panel)

Date Depicted:

6/14/2011

Materials:

oil paint and tempera paint on canvas (mounted to the wall)

Notes:

Sert was a Catalan Spanish muralist, the son of an affluent textile industry family and friend of Salvador Dalí. He was particularly known for his grisaille style, often in gold and black. His “American Progress” mural (1937) in the main lobby replaced Diego Rivera’s controversial homage to Lenin. Sert's mural depicts the country’s growth and shows statues of creative muses hauled by laboring strongmen. Lincoln, Emerson, and Gandhi lend a hand. "Time" was painted on the ceiling (5,000 sq ft; 1941). "Spirit of the Dance" was painted in the north hall (25 x 17 ft; 1941). Other murals line the stairwells and corridors. Titles include "Man's Triumph In Communication" (1933); "Abolition of War" (1933); "Abolition of Bondage" (1933); "Conquest of Disease" (1933). Four murals by Frank Brangwyn were commissioned for the south hall, 1930-1934. Brangwyn's theme was man's search for the eternal truth through Christ's teachings. The murals, which had darkened under varnish, were restored in 2009-2011 and the lobby repainted to match the original ivory colors.

Variant Titles:

American Progress, the Triumph of Man's Accomplishments Through Physical and Mental Labor

Topics:

Painting -- United States -- 20th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Twentieth century

Culture:

American

Accession Number:

6A2-SJM-MCMW-A05

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
paintings: mural paintings (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Paintings & Drawings
Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

visual works; paintings (visual works); mural paintings (visual works)

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Addition Module Eight

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
6/14/2011 12:00:00 AM

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2013; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4654

OID:

10903839

PID:

digcoll:1842865