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The Mythical Residents of the Rockefeller Center

The massive scale of Rockefeller Center is adorned with countless art deco reliefs and sculptures which soften the harden corners and squared-off entryways of the building. This selection gives a brief overview of a few works of art perched on the exterior of this monumental complex.

ByMuseum of the City of New York logoMuseum of the City of New York
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Sweden House icon

Sweden House

Lee Lawrie's "Atlas" graces the entrance of the Internation Building of the Rockefeller Center. Atlas holds an armillary sphere with its north-south axis towards the North Star.
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30 Rock icon

30 Rock

On a street corner, this small figurine gestures towards 30 Rock.
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1 Rockefeller Plaza icon

1 Rockefeller Plaza

Over the 48th Street entrance, "The Joy of Life" was created by Antonio Piccirilli. It depicts Bacchus, the god of wine and agriculture, surrounded by his cohort of devotees.
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30 Rock icon

30 Rock

"Radio," by Leo Friedlander, assigns figures to symbolize the radio. With her back towards us, a figure representing transmission broadcasts a signal to three smaller figures to the left.
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30 Rock icon

30 Rock

"Television," like "Radio" pays homage to the main tenant of this building, NBC. Perhaps the characters are a post-modern mythic tribute to the air and radio waves which command populations.
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30 Rock icon

30 Rock

"Wisdom" was also carved by sculptor Lee Lawrie. He gestures down towards the biblical verse, which reads: “Wisdom and Knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.”
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Rockefeller Center icon

Rockefeller Center

"Prometheus," by Paul Manship, carries a stolen flame from the Chariot of the Sun. He falls towards the earth and sea through the Heavens, represented by the ring inscribed with the zodiac.
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La Maison Francaise icon

La Maison Francaise

Over La Maison Francaise, a figure representing French Freedom was sculpted by Alfred Jannoit. She is perched above the words "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité."
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