Editing Rockefeller Center (section)

===''Man at the Crossroads''===
[[File:Libro Los Viejos Abuelos Foto 68.png|thumb|upright=1.2|''[[Man at the Crossroads|Man, Controller of the Universe]]'', a recreation of the destroyed ''Man at the Crossroads'' mural in 30 Rockefeller Plaza's lobby]]
{{Main|Man at the Crossroads}}
In 1932, the Mexican socialist artist [[Diego Rivera]] (whose sponsor was the [[Museum of Modern Art]] and whose patron at the time was [[Abby Aldrich Rockefeller]], the wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.), was commissioned by their son Nelson to create a color [[fresco]] for the {{convert|1071|sqft|m2|0|adj=on}} wall in the lobby of the then-RCA Building. This came after Nelson had been unable to secure the commissioning of either [[Henri Matisse|Matisse]] or [[Pablo Picasso|Picasso]].{{sfn|Smith|2014|pp=91–92}}{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=302}} Previously Rivera had painted a controversial fresco in Detroit titled ''[[Detroit Industry]]'', commissioned by Abby and John's friend, [[Edsel Ford]], who later became a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art.{{sfn|Smith|2014|p=92}}{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=302}}

As expected, his ''Man at the Crossroads'' became controversial, as it contained Moscow May Day scenes and a clear portrait of [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], which had not been apparent in initial sketches.{{sfn|Smith|2014|p=97}}{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=304}}  After Nelson issued a written warning to Rivera to replace the offending figure with an anonymous face, Rivera refused (after offering to counterbalance Lenin with a portrait of [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln]]).{{sfn|Smith|2014|p=97}}{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=312}} As per Nelson's orders, Rivera was paid for his commission and the mural was papered over.{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=313}} Nine months later, after all attempts to save the fresco were explored—including relocating it to Abby's [[Museum of Modern Art]]—it was destroyed as a last option.<ref name="NYTimes-Mural-Cut-1934">{{Cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1934/02/13/93750328.pdf|title=Rivera RCA Mural Is Cut From Wall; Rockefeller Center Destroys Lenin Painting At Night And Replasters Space. Vandalism,' Says Artist Sloan, Urging Boycott, Says He Will Never Exhibit There – Protest Meetings Called.|date=February 13, 1934|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 11, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>{{sfn|Smith|2014|p=98}}<ref name=kert>{{harvnb|ps=.|Kert|1993|pages=352–365}}</ref><ref name=reich>{{harvnb|ps=.|Reich|1996|pages=105–111}}</ref> (Rivera would later partially recreate the work as ''[[Man, Controller of the Universe]]'', using photographs taken by an assistant, [[Lucienne Bloch]].)<ref>{{cite web | title=Destroyed By Rockefellers, Mural Trespassed On Political Vision | website=NPR | date=March 9, 2014 | url=https://www.npr.org/2014/03/09/287745199/destroyed-by-rockefellers-mural-trespassed-on-political-vision | access-date=November 30, 2017}}</ref> Rivera's fresco in the center was replaced with a larger mural by the [[Catalonia|Catalan]] artist [[Josep Maria Sert]], titled ''American Progress'', depicting a vast allegorical scene of men constructing modern America. Containing figures of [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[Mahatma Gandhi]], and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], it wraps around the west wall of 30 Rockefeller Plaza's Grand Lobby.{{sfn|Okrent|2003|p=319}}{{sfn|Roussel|2006|pages=94–107}}