La Pietà in Queens, NY?

My wife and I decided before our daughter was born that we wanted her to visit as many zoos, aquariums, parks and museums as possible.  Last month one of our excursions took us to the Queens Museum in New York City.  

 

The museum is located in Flushing Meadows Park near La Guardia Airport and is very accessible by car or public transport.  In contrast to the other museums in Manhattan, however, the Queens Museum has fewer visitors, and to our dismay, even though I was born and raised in New York City, and my wife in Long Island, it was our first time visiting the building.

 

If you are not familiar with the history of the Queens Museum, the building was built for the 1939 World’s Fair and decades later, in the same location, the city hosted the 1964 World’s Fair. This year New York City, without much fanfare, has been celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair.  

 

In between these periods from 1946 to 1950 the United Nations’ General Assembly was temporality housed in the building before it was relocated to its present location in Manhattan.  Before it was known as the Queens Museum, the General Assembly had many world leaders speak; and it is where the controversial partition of Palestine and the creation of UNICEF were decided.

 

As we explored the different exhibits inside the museum, one of the most interesting areas is the collection of World’s Fair artifacts.  The collection captures the innovation in science and technology that was happening in both eras.  While holding my daughter’s hand and watching her stare at some of Walt Disney’s original images and illustrations on display that were an integral part of the 1964 World’s Fair attraction, I noticed a statue in my peripheral vision.  I turned and realized that through the museum’s dim light, I was viewing Michelangelo’s, La Pietà.   

 

I was immediately confused with the significance of La Pietà’s purpose and presence in the museum. For a brief moment, I was upset at myself for thinking it was the original that somehow was secretly stashed away next to the museum’s artifacts. I still did not understand the connection between the World’s Fair and the renowned sculpture. What added to my lack of understanding was the little information explaining the reason why one of Michelangelo’s greatest sculptures was here. I thought, for all its grandeur and popularity, Michelangelo’s masterpiece appeared to be placed in an inconspicuous spot away from any main exhibits, even if it was indeed a replica.  

 

How did a replica of La Pietà arrive and find a home at the museum? Apparently, Robert Moses, a well-known New York City architect credited with building many of Gotham City’s buildings and highways, was President of the 1964 World’s Fair.  His Vice-President of International Relations was Charles Poletti, an Italian-American, the son of Italian immigrants and the first Italian-American Governor, even though it was for a very short time.  Both men agreed just creating excitement around the technological innovations of the era was not enough. 

 

They wanted the public to flock to the fair and walk away feeling inspired and rejuvenated by the experience.  This is important to remember because the American public had just witnessed President John F. Kennedy’s assassination several months before in November, 1963 and many citizens were still mourning his brutal death.  

 

Ironically, in 1962 President Kennedy had broken ground for the US pavilion prior to the opening of the World’s Fair.  Furthermore, the country’s somber feeling after the assassination was compounded by the Civil Rights Movement, leaving many to question American democracy.  If there was ever a time the people of the United States needed a jolt to feel good about the future, it was the endless technological and scientific possibilities that were showcased in the 1964 World’s Fair that offered some hope. 

 

Moses and Poletti saw this as an opportunity for Americans to be proud of their country once again, especially since many critics of the fair labeled it “middlebrow fare.” According to Joseph Tirella, another reason for marketing the 1964 World’s Fair as one of the best events in American history was because “…Mr. Moses himself saw it as a chance both to make up for the financial disaster of the 1939-40 World’s Fair on the same site and to create a greater urban park in Queens.” He as well as Charles Poletti brainstormed other ways the exhibits could spark interest and captivate the world.  One of their ideas meant contacting the Vatican and later speaking directly with Pope John XXIII.  

 

Miraculously the two parties agreed that La Pietà would make a trip for the first time ever across the Atlantic, to Queens, New York.  While many Catholics from around the world must have recited several Hail Mary’s as the rest of the world was on pins and needles, hoping for a safe journey of Michelangelo’s masterpiece to the US, Poletti, contacted other world leaders.  

 

Spain’s leader, Francisco Franco agreed to lend several paintings of Goya, El Greco, a Velázquez and a Dalí to the exhibit.  In a speech given by Poletti, he thanked many of the world leaders for agreeing to show their respective cultures at the fair, and certainly acknowledged Italy, “the land of my ancestors,” he proudly declared, for lending La Pietà.

 

The world nervously waited for La Pietà’s arrival as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean unscathed in both directions.  It was the first time that the statue was ever moved from the Vatican, and allowed many in 1964 who may have been unable to travel to Italy, to view La Pietà and see other prominent works of art from various countries of the world.  The experience of having Michelangelo’s popular sculpture in New York City petitioned many to decide they wanted to create a replica of the original so other generations could at least enjoy this work of art.

 

For this reason, a replica of La Pietà can be viewed at the Queens Museum while visitors also experience an interesting part of New York City history.