The Rockefeller Tree
By Madina Burkhanova
Image courtesy of the Rockefeller Centre.
There is no bigger statement that Christmas is here than the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Even for those who are indifferent to the holiday season, the lighting signifies that Halloween and Thanksgiving (for any American readers) are well and truly over. My family relocated to the United States a few years ago; New York City specifically. Every winter since, my siblings and I have been shepherded to the Rockefeller Centre to take our holiday card picture in front of the tree. Although I incessantly complain about this tradition , I secretly harbour a little love for it. After all, the lighting of the tree is a landmark in the calendar year.
As much as I could say about the tree, I will now switch focus to the sculpture just below it. I thought it apt to mention the tree because I only ever catch sight of the large statue of the Greek Prometheus when I make my mandatory visit around Christmas-time. Prometheus is allegedly the fourth most famous statue in the country and is a fixture of Rockefeller centre. Any film, series, or photo about New York will almost certainly feature the bronze sculpture. Made by Paul Manship in 1934, it is 18 feet tall.
I am fascinated by this statue purely because I never questioned its positioning or history prior to writing this article. The statue is just there. It is Rockefeller Centre epitomised, and in fact, it is New York epitomised. After some cursory research, I can firmly say that I greatly appreciate the sentiment behind its creation. Prometheus is captured in motion, his hand bearing fire for the humans he looks down upon (fittingly, people do indeed swirl below him in the famous ice-skating rink). He symbolises innovation and modernisation; he is a warning against stagnation. Something about this discovery feels very profound to me because I feel that I should have known this many years ago. All this to say, learn from my mistakes - this is a reminder to look a little bit closer at the things (and art) we take for granted this holiday season.
Lerner, Jane. “The Story of the Prometheus Sculpture at Rockefeller Center”. New York City, New York: The Rockefeller Center Magazine, 2021. https://www.rockefellercenter.com/magazine/arts-culture/prometheus-sculpture-story-rock-center/.