Monday 28 October 2019

A NYC masterpiece

One of the seven wonders of New York City for me has always been the reredos of St Thomas’ Episcopalian church on 5th Avenue. I used to stop by when I visited the city to just admire this masterpiece, the massive sculpture behind the main altar. The High Altar and Reredos of Saint Thomas Church were designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (1869–1924) and sculptor Lee Lawrie (1877–1963.)  The church was consecrated on 25 April 1916. The church design by Cram and Goodhue won an architectural competition to build the new Saint Thomas Church, winning over entries by George Post and Robert Gibson. Lee Lawrie designed many sculptures and decorations, most notably the 60 figures of the magnificent reredos, which is 80 feet (24 m) high, a stunning architectural display. Among the figures represented one can easily find George Washington, the first US President.

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