Maquette for Eagle

Copied 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
Date
ca. 1962-1966
Location
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
Mediums Description
cut and soldered brass mounted on wood base
Classifications
Subjects
  • General Services Administration
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Animal — bird — eagle
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.