344 Ninth Street

This brownstone on Ninth Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is one of a row of four houses designed by architect Charles Pierrepont Henry Gilbert in 1887. The four houses all measure 17.83 feet (5.4m) wide by 45 feet (13.7m) long, but all are different. No. 344 is the only one to retain its original details, and is still a one-family home. It was originally owned by a gravel and sand merchant named Michael Fitzsimmons. Between 1902 and 1913, it was occupied by the European Conservatory of Music, later called the Manhattan Conservatory.

C.P.H. Gilbert was born in 1861. Little is known of his early life or training, but eventually he wound up designing mining towns in Arizona and Colorado, where he also learned trick riding and shooting. He returned to New York City in 1883. These four houses were his first Brooklyn commissions. He later designed numerous mansions and townhouses in Park Slope, especially on Carroll St. and Montgomery Place. He also had many clients among Manhattan's elite, including F.W. Woolworth.

His Brooklyn buildings were eclectic in design, as opposed to his Manhattan projects. This New York Times feature says, "Whereas Gilbert's Manhattan mansions are all about good taste and sober politesse, his Brooklyn work tends toward a rugby scrum: the houses tangle and tussle with one another like cats and dogs in a burlap bag. He left no diary, no notes, no thoughts on design, no hint as to whether he later regretted his Brooklyn work, or looked on it with affection."

The drawing in process, pencil drawing and inked. . .

Info on this house and C.P.H. Gilbert:

NY Times: Brooklyn Streetscapes C.P.H. Gilbert-The Wild Years

Brownstoner: Building of the Day: 340-344 9th Street, a Study in Change in Park Slope

The Benjamin Royal Sonesta

 The Benjamin Royal Sonesta Hotel, on Lexington Ave. at 50th St.

Art & Design Draw-A-Thon

It's been a long while since I've been to a live figure drawing session. Last weekend, I made it to a Draw-A-Thon fundraiser at the Art And Design High School. Mostly quick sketches. These aren't masterpieces, but it was good to be back at it.

Before It's Gone: Kellogg's Diner

 

Another NY icon disappearing. Probably. The Kellogg's Diner is a Williamsburg landmark, anchoring the corner of Metropolitan Ave. and Union Ave., right by the Metropolitan subway entrance. It operated 24/7, and so was a particular fixture for the late-night Williamsburg crowd. 

It's been there since the 1940s. It's uncertain exactly when it was founded, and by whom, but it the initial business had shuttered by the 1970s, when it was purchased by a trio of Greek immigrant brothers who renovated and expanded it to the current restaurant. They sold the business to fellow immigrants in 2013.

Unfortunately, it's now in bankruptcy. The owner died suddenly in 2018, and his widow took over. However, it struggled to make ends meet, especially during the pandemic, and is now being operated by a bankruptcy trustee while a buyer is sought. The asking price is $2.5 million. So, maybe someone will buy it and continue its operations as it was.

Initial pencil sketch

Intermediate ink stage

Here's an interesting history of Greek diners in New York, including Kellogg's: Bedford and Bowery.com

May The Fourth Be With You 2023

Return of the Jedi is not my favorite Star Wars. I kinda hate the Ewoks, but they are fun to draw. And speeder bikes are one of my favorite Star Wars vehicles, and it is the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. So here's that Ewok on a speeder bike from Return of the Jedi. Happy Star Wars Day!

Rockefeller Center: Léon-Victor Solon

While Lee Lawrie receives credit for the most pieces of work at Rockefeller Center, Léon-Victor Solon (1873-1957) created the coloring for more than 87 sculptures. Solon came from a family of distinguished English ceramics artists. He emigrated to the United States in 1909 and began work for tiling companies.

Classically trained in the arts, Solon was particularly fascinated by research into Greek polychromy, the painting schemes originally applied to classical sculpture and architecture. Solon lamented the "dull and lifeless buildings of today" and advocated increased use of color in modern architecture. "A soothing green would be suitable for localities like the Wall Street district where nerves are subject to constant excitement," he wrote. Solon had learned that the German manufacturer Keim had developed a paint that bonded to limestone, which he then used for the Wisdom, Sound and Light sculptures. On the basis of that work, Solon was hired to be the colorist for the entire center, creating color schemes for 87 pieces. So, while Lawrie is credited for 14 pieces in the complex, it could be said that it is Solon's work which is most prevalent throughout the project.

Three more pieces by Lawrie and Solon. Progress is above the 49th St. entrance. It features Columbia, a traditional female symbol of America, holding a flame of divine fire in one hand, and an olive branch, symbol of peace, in the other. She is accompanied by Pegasus, a symbol of inspiration, and an eagle, symbol of power.

Winged Mercury is an intaglio relief above the entrance at 620 Fifth Ave. It represents the wealth and vitality of the British merchant fleets. 

Cornucopia of Plenty, above the entrance at 10 West 51st St., symbolizes "the plentitude that would result from well-organized international trade."

Commerce and Industry With a Caduceus, at 636 Fifth Avenue, is not a Lawrie piece. It's by Attilo Piccirilli, an Italian immigrant whose family is responsible for many of the most famous sculptures in New York City. Attilio was also the sculptor of the statue of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. The male figure represents commerce, the female symbolizes industry, and the caduceus is a symbol of Mercury, god of trade.

Rockefeller Center: Atlas and Prometheus

In Greek mythology, Atlas and Prometheus were brothers, both punished by Zeus for transgressions against the pantheon of gods. Prometheus for stealing diving fire from Olympus to give to mortal mankind, and Atlas for siding with the Titans in their revolt against Zeus. Atlas' punishment, forced to bear the weight of the cosmos on his shoulders, is depicted. Prometheus, on the other hand, is shown in the act of his offense. I suppose it is because we mortals would look at his crime as a boon, and also because his punishment is particularly gruesome and not conducive to public art. He was bound to a boulder where an eagle would eat his liver, which would regrow overnight to be eaten again the following day, ad infinitum.

The sculpture of Atlas on Fifth Avenue, situated across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, is probably Lee Lawrie's most famous work . It was created with Rene Paul Chambellan. Lawrie conceived and designed the figure, while Chambellan modeled the sculpture from Lawrie's sketches. It is the largest sculpture at Rockefeller Center, standing a total of 45 feet (14 m) tall. The 15' figure holds a sphere that is 21' (6.4 m) in diameter. Upon its unveiling in 1937, some viewers were reminded of Benito Mussolini, while James Montgomery said that it looked as Mussolini thought he looked.

Cast in 1934, Prometheus is the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center. It is located at the lower plaza, above the skating rink and directly beneath where a giant Christmas tree is annually installed. The gilded bronze sculpture was created by Paul Manship and cast by the Roman Bronze Works in Queens. Leonardo Nole, an Italian-American lifeguard, was the model. The statue measures 60' X 16' (18.3 m by 4.9 m) and weighs 8 tons, and is covered by nearly a pound of gold leaf. The inscription behind it is from Aeschylus: "Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends."