This beautiful Art Deco sculpture has become one of those lasting icons that are associated with New York City. Created by sculptor Lee Lawrie and installed at Rockefeller Center in 1937, The sculpture depicts Atlas holding up the heavens.
According to mythology, the Titans, the older gods, fought the Olympians, a younger generation of gods, in a ten-year series of battles known as the War of the Titans. When the Olympians came out victorious, Atlas, a Titan, was condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity.
If you’re a fan of television, you may have seen this work of art on 30 Rock, where it’s been shown many times. If you’re a reader, you may have seen an artistic rendering of it on the cover of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Atlas is is a fitting image to represent the strength and power of New York City.
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