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Paul Manship, "Prometheus Stealing Fire," 1933 - 1934, Rockefeller Plaza, New York City

Dominating the space of Rockefeller Plaza, at the foot of the RCA Building (aka 30 Rock,) Manship's Prometheus has become an American icon, a symbol of national dynamism.

The caption across the back wall of the fountain is critical for understanding the theme and placement of this iconic, American sculpture: "Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals means to mighty deeds."

Manship's usage of the myth, placed in the heart of the growing metropolis during one a crucial moment in American economic history, credits human existence to Prometheus' heroic act. Manship celebrates the triumph of humanity over the forces of tyranny. Heroic intervention has fostered American metropolitanism.

Maurizio nearly concludes that Prometheus here = Rockefeller himself, whose "determination and grit" showed Americans how to transcend imperiled times. "Great faith in technology and industry, and in their ability to transform human landscapes, cultures, and lives" will see the American economy out of dark times. ..."[Prometheus serves as] an emblem of promise and progress: gilded, fiery, and proud." (Maurizio p. 96)

Images at right: top by RTM, bottom by Nada Stankova on Flickr