Don De Lue

The Rocket Thrower by Don De Lue was created for the 1964 New York World's Fair. De Lue was among a total of five sculptors who would create pieces for the fairground. He was contracted in 1962 for the amount of $105,000 with a deadline for completion of under six months. De Lue completed a full plaster model in 1963 at which time it was sent to Italy to be cast.

The sculpture stands 43 feet high and depicts an athletic and god-like man launching, with his right hand, a small sphere into the sky which leaves an arcing trail of flames behind. His left hand is raised skyward and reaches for a swirl of stars which encircle the path of the rocket. The Rocket Thrower's left leg strains and crouches with his left foot planted on an arched perch. His right leg extends out fluidly. On the front of the perch (facing the Unisphere) are three distinct stars arranged in an angled line across its short width.

By 1963 De Lue was deeply unpopular with the contemporary art world. He was an unapologetically monumental and old-fashioned sculptor, and therefore at odds with modern tastes. The New York Times art critic John Canaday described Lue's work as "the most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci."

Photo credit goes to Jim Henderson, who published the image under the Creative Commons License here.