Youth Leading Industry - New York City, NY
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 40° 45.525 W 073° 58.612
18T E 586360 N 4512480
This relief is above the doorway at the International Building at 636 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, NY.
Waymark Code: WMCHN0
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 09/09/2011
Views: 9
This 1936 relief by Attilio Piccirilli is made from treated Pyrex glass and entitled "Youth Leading Industry". It is set above this Rockefeller Center building's doorway at 636 Fifth Avenue. The Smithsonian Inventory (
visit link) describes it thusly:
"Over entrance to building is a glass block relief depicting a nude male figure, symbolizing youthful leadership, guiding a charioteer who is reining in two rearing horses. The horses symbolize industry and commerce."
According to this website (
visit link) the work is lit from behind at night. That website adds:
"The Neo-Roman theme was typical of 1930's fascism--the youth shall lead the way towards better times. The near-nude figure dashing ahead of the rearing horses represents empowerment and destiny, the chariot representing strenght of industry and transportation. They are controlled by a confident leader (the charioteer) guiding them towards the future.
The bas-relief was cast in 45 Pyrex glass blocks, each hand-cast and unique. After casting, the models and molds were destroyed. No two ware alike and no replicas exist in the world. The small bubble like (seemingly) imperfections were intended to convey fluidity."
There is another relief by the same artist called Commerce and Industry with a Caduceus directly above this work.
The artist, Attilio Piccirilli, 1866-1945, was an American who had been born in Italy. According to Wikipedia (
visit link) another of his Purex works at Rockefeller Center was removed during World War II because it seemed to fascist style. Nevertheless, he was commissioned for many public works across the country...see, a partial list at the Wikipedia article.