620 Fifth Avenue, The British Empire Building
Posted on February 12, 2016 by — No Comments
The British Empire Building at 620 Fifth Avenue is a mirror image of La Masion Francaise save for its sculpture, here consisting of small figurative works by artist Carl Paul Jennewien, seemingly floating in space beneath a stylized lion and unicorn. The figures represent peoples and resources controlled by the British Empire in the UK, India, Africa, Australia and Canada. A rising sun completes the work, symbolizing the then-popular adage “the sun never sets on the British Empire.”
The comparison with the décor of La Masion Francaise is perhaps telling.