This Painting Was at the Center of a Communist Controversy. Here's Why

This is American Progress by Jose Maria Sert. It's one of the most spectacular murals in the United States, covering the walls of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. And in the context of murals, it's amazing, and a testament to the ideals of its day that birthed it. But wait...is that Lenin? We see Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, and the personified Titans of "Progress" struggling to create the American Dream. This painting was immersed, quite literally, in one of the biggest art controversies of its day.

00:00 American Progress by Sert
00:38 Impressive Location
00:57 Ancient Symbolism
02:19 Art Deco and its Era of Progress
02:53 Controversial History
03:27 Diego Rivera and the Disappearing Painting
05:00 A Fresh Start for an Impressive Venue
06:40 Another View of Progress?

#art #artlife #artdeco #greatart

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