The figure at the upper left holds a model of Notre Dame on her lap and sits on a ship that’s centuries out of date. Behind her swirls a banner with the motto “Fluctuat nec mergitur” – “It is tossed on the waves but doesn’t sink.” That’s the motto of the city of Paris, and the old-fashioned ship is also part of the coat of arms.
See the castle at the top of the arms? On the Rockefeller Center relief, Paris stylishly wears it as a hat.
At the upper right is a figure in front of a towering skyline; her banner reads “New York.” Her peculiar chair is probably the latest in transatlantic liners.
Below these two are the Three Graces. Among the Greeks, the most common identification of the Graces is as Zeus’s daughters Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosyne – Beauty, Good Cheer, and Joy. Here, according to the inscriptions accompanying them, they’re Poesie (Poetry – staring off into space, as poets will do), Beaute (Beauty – looking a lot like Botticelli’s Venus), and Elegance (who is perhaps thinking about a primitive form of haute couture).
The official Rockefeller Center page on this sculpture is here.
Ernest Hemingway wrote, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. More here.
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