5/5 Jim P. 2 years ago on Google
Standing
50
feet
tall
and
weighing
over
160
tons,
the
Chicago
Picasso
in
Daley
Plaza
is
much
more
than
just
artwork
to
Chicagoans.
The
untitled
Picasso
sculpture
that
originally
sparked
controversy
in
the
city
has
now
become
one
of
Chicago’s
most
famous
sculptures
and
beloved
icons.
The
Chicago
Picasso
was
commissioned
in
1963
by
the
architects
of
the
Richard
J.
Daley
Center
to
anchor
the
plaza
on
the
east
side
of
the
building.
Most
public
art
in
large
cities
at
this
time
was
calm
and
stoic,
mainly
depicting
historical
figures,
but
in
the
1960s,
architecture
in
American
cities
began
to
reflect
the
many
cultural
and
modern
changes
taking
place
throughout
the
country.
The
Daley
Center’s
architects
decided
to
commission
the
renowned
Spanish
artist,
Pablo
Picasso,
to
create
a
monumental
sculpture
for
their
plaza.
Picasso
worked
on
this
commission
for
two
years,
combining
and
modifying
sketches
and
motifs
from
some
of
his
earlier
works
in
the
design
of
the
sculpture.
This
resulted
in
a
42-inch
tall
maquette,
or
model,
of
the
sculpture.
Both
the
maquette
and
sketches
of
the
sculpture
may
be
seen
today
at
the
Art
Institute
of
Chicago.
The
Chicago
Picasso
is
built
of
Cor-Ten
steel,
the
same
material
as
the
exterior
of
the
Daley
Center,
and
was
assembled
not
far
from
Chicago
at
the
U.S.
Steel
Company
in
Gary,
Indiana.
On
August
15,
1967,
thousands
of
people
gathered
in
Daley
Plaza
to
witness
the
unveiling
and
dedication
of
the
city’s
newest
piece
of
public
art.
In
his
dedication
letter,
Picasso
gave
the
sculpture
as
a
gift
to
the
people
of
Chicago,
without
ever
explaining
what
the
sculpture
was
intended
to
represent.
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