Chicago Picasso
What is it?
Chicago Picasso is a sculpture standing 50 feet tall and weighing 162 tons. It is made of Cor-Ten steel, the same material used to build the Daley Center. Originally rust colored, the sculpture now has a darkish gray patina that nicely matches the one on the Daley Center building behind it.
When?
The sculpture was commissioned by the architects of the Richard J. Daley Center in 1963. Picasso completed a maquette of the sculpture in 1965, and approved a final model of the sculpture in 1966.
Interesting Facts!
- The public is allowed to climb on the sculpture. If you tried to climb on the moonbird sculpture in New York, you'd be arrested.
- The sculpture was initially met with controversy since no one knew what this was supposed to be. Ideas ranged from praying mantis to aardvark.
- The sculpture may have been inspired by an English woman, Lydia Corbett, who posed for Picasso in 1954. Picasso, who was struck by her high ponytail and long neck made many portraits of her. His grandson even said that contrary to the belief that his paintings were inspired by the actress Brigitte Bardot, they were actually homages to Corbett. "I think the Chicago sculpture was inspired by her," said the grandson, author of Picasso, the Real Family Story.
- Picasso was offered payment of $100,000 but refused it, stating that he wanted to make a gift of his work.
- Picasso had never been to Chicago when he offered the statue.
- There is a smaller version of the statue in the Chicago Civic Center called "Tete de Baboon" (Head of a baboon)
http://web.archive.org/web/20060831142953/http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/timeline/picasso.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060823012428/http://chicago.about.com/od/chicagopictures/ss/chicago_picasso.htm
http://www.galerieart.cz/picasso_vystava_dalsi_prace.htm
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/01/05/columnists/jerry_davich/2abd1bacb02a91a6862570ed0000d5eb.txt
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- CHICAGO last edited on 22 October 2008 at 1:21 pm by 148.61.118.161