Maquette for Eagle

Theodore Roszak, Maquette for Eagle, ca. 1962-1966, cut and soldered brass mounted on wood base, 12 ¹⁄₂ x 34 ³⁄₄ x 9 ¹⁄₄ in. (31.6 x 88.2 x 23.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, 1980.128.15

Artwork Details

Title: Maquette for Eagle
Artist: Theodore Roszak
Date: ca. 1962-1966
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
/
4th Floor
/
50B
Dimensions: 12 ¹⁄₂ x 34 ³⁄₄ x 9 ¹⁄₄ in. (31.6 x 88.2 x 23.6 cm)
Credit Line: Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program
Mediums: brass
wood
Mediums Description: cut and soldered brass mounted on wood base
Classifications: Sculpture
Maquette
Subjects: Study — sculpture model
Animal — bird — eagle
General Services Administration
Object Number: 1980.128.15
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.128.15

Artwork Description

Theodore Roszak received one of the earliest commissions from the General Services Administration’s Art-in-Architecture Program to make Eagle for the U.S. Customs Court in Foley Square, New York. Under this program, the GSA set aside one half of one percent of the construction budget for new federal buildings to purchase public works of art. Roszak had already created a large eagle for the newly constructed U.S. Embassy in London in 1960. Although some English viewers complained that the metal bird, with its thirty-five-foot wingspan, was a “blatant monstrosity” and too large for the building, criticism quickly died down after the sculpture’s installation. Despite the controversy, Roszak was brought back to create a similar piece---for which this maquette is a study---to be installed in the U.S. Customs Appellate Courtroom.