Atlas Statue in Rockefeller Center to be Restored
The New York Times reported that the four-story, seven-ton bronze statue of Atlas hoisting the world on his shoulders will receive a thorough cleaning.
The statue, designed by Lee Lawrie and Rene Chambellan, has sat in front of the International Building in Rockefeller Center since 1937. The Star Tribune reported that wax and lacquer have built up over the years, dulling the surface.
The cleaning, which will begin May 5, will last six weeks. EverGreene Painting Studios will use steam and solvents to clean the bronze, then apply a clear acrylic protective coating before hand waxing the piece.
Jeffery Greene, president of EverGreene Painting Studios, said the cleaning should bring out details, such as zodiac signs and artists’ tool marks, that have been hidden, the New York Times reported.
The statue had been regularly cleaned since its installation until at least the late 1980s, but this will be the statue’s most thorough restoration.