Prometheus

The Prometheus Statue at Rockefeller Center in New York City is one of the most famous sculptures in the world. After the Statue of Liberty, it is perhaps the most celebrated piece of artwork in America.

Cast in bronze from the original model of the Prometheus Statue at Rockefeller Center, this Prometheus sculpture is gilded by hand in 24K gold leaf, and bears the sculptor's signature, P. Manship. To date, only four Prometheus maquettes exist, two in private collections, one in the Smithsonian Institute and one in the Minnesota Museum of Art.

For the first time, this sculpture is being made available to the art collector and connoisseur with the approval and supervision of the sculptor's son, John Manship, himself an acclaimed sculptor.

Paul Manship received the commision in January 1933 from John D. Rockefeller after presenting the Prometheus maquette to the Rockefeller Center Committee. It was part of the original design for the ambitious and quintessential Art Deco urban center built in the depths of the Depression.

In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a member of the earliest race of gods called Titans. The god Zeus plotted to destroy humanity by depriving the earth of fire. Prometheus, who had fashioned man out of clay, saved humanity by teaching man how to use fire. Thus, Prometheus became a champion of humanity and the first "sculptor" of man.

Manship's Prometheus is seen as he descends from Mount Olympus, encircled by the ring of the zodiac. Almost identical to the statue at Rockefeller Center, though diminutive in scale, this maquette captures the stylized strength and gravity-defying element of Paul Manship's creative process. It is undoubtedly a unique symbol of American art and American history.
Shining Collection