The Atlántida of Capitalism. The murals of Sert in the decorative programme of New York’s Rockefeller Center

New York’s Rockefeller Center is one of most symbolically rich places in the world, although few of its millions of visitors stop to reflect on what its images of power really mean. In the form of an Atlantean mythological allegory, Rockefeller Center was conceived as symbolic propaganda for capitalist, liberal values implicit in both the ‘American Dream’ and the ideology espoused by the Rockefeller family. It embodies the utopia of progress and science that promotes the freedom of the individual and the free movement of capital. Due to ideological clashes –or the vagaries of fate– the Catalan José María Sert was the artist to ultimately complete the most eloquent mural in the main building, a mural which had formerly been painted by Diego de Rivera, and entitled Man at the Crossroads. Sert was a muralist who had previously worked on the scenographic illustration of Manuel de Falla’s Atlántida, capturing some of the motifs that inspired that great cantata based on poetic texts by Jacint Verdaguer. That earlier work is reflected in the lobby of Rockefeller Center’s main building. While Diego de Rivera’s censored frescoes have been studied prolifically, little attention has been paid to Sert’s paradoxical reading of the same subjects. In this article, we analyse the history of the Atlantean Mediterranean literary myth in relation to Spain, the use John D. Rockefeller Jr. made of them in his emblematic urbanistic ensemble, and also the peculiar reading that the Catalan muralist made of these themes of Atlantis in relation to capitalism.

La crisis constructiva del sueño europeo en Metrópolis, de Fritz Lang. Un estudio contextual comparado de los mitos de Prometeo y Atlas

Metrópolis de Fritz Lang es una película de enorme complejidad que casi cien años después de su estreno sigue provocando polémica en torno a las posibles interpretaciones ideológicas que propone. En este artículo, se estudia la película en paralelismo con otros usos ideológicos que se hicieron de los mismos mitos clásicos y bíblicos en ese contexto histórico. Especialmente aporta mucha luz sobre el complejo significado de Metropolis la comparación con el proyecto iconográfico del Rockefeller Center de Nueva York, que sigue una estética similar y hace también un uso simbólico de los mitos clásicos de Prometeo y Atlas que aparecen en la película. Sin embargo, mientras que Metrópolis supone una cierta premonición distópica -y preventiva- de la crisis del sueño europeo que presagiaba, por ejemplo, el uso simbólico que de esos mismos mitos se hacía entonces tanto en la URSS como en la Alemania nazi, el Rockefeller Center simboliza -todavía hoy- el proyecto más utópico del sueño capitalista americano. El estudio comparativo entre estos usos diferentes de los mismos mitos griegos muestra que la película de Fritz Lang -ya superados los prejuicios metodológicos heredados de la guerra fría académica- se nos descubre como una obra de arte abierta, considerablemente universal e intemporal.

Depression Days

Chapter 4 focuses on the societal and cultural impetus for the creation of Radio City Music Hall, which would resurrect vaudeville by hosting two eight-act shows daily; it was part of Rockefeller Center, a fifteen-building campus enshrining media, big business, and modern architecture in the heart of Manhattan. Bolger served as the master of ceremonies for Radio City Music Hall’s opening performances. The chapter also examines Bolger’s brief stint in Earl Carroll’s Vanities as well as his career development thanks to his agent, Abe Lastfogel, of the William Morris Agency. Included is information on Bolger’s Broadway show Life Begins at 8:40 and the importance of his signing his first film contract for a major studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).