Painted by Spanish muralist José Maria Sert across the ceiling of the 30 Rockefeller Plaza lobby, stretch three enormous Titans, embodying the sweep of Time—Past, Present, and Future. Their muscular, monumental forms convey Time’s sheer, unstoppable force as it moves through human history.
The Titans are engaged in a single cosmic task: weighing humanity’s deeds. At the center, a colossal figure holds massive scales that measure the total weight of human achievement. This is a notable departure from the familiar image of Lady Justice, blindfolded as she balances rights and wrongs according to the laws of her era. The Titans’ scales are different—neither bound by rules nor swayed by earthly decrees. They are eternal, absolute. In Sert’s vision, Time alone judges human progress.
Rather than depicting the Past, Present, and Future as separate states, Sert blends them into a continuous flow. Each Titan assists in the process of weighing, reinforcing an unbroken cycle in which past actions, present choices, and future consequences are inseparable. No matter how achievements are regarded in their own moment, Sert suggests that only Time reveals their true value.
Sert’s Time mural is also immersive, crafted with trompe-l’oeil and anamorphic perspective that draw viewers into the scene. The central Titan’s gaze, for instance, appears to follow you as you move through the lobby. Through careful shading and dramatic foreshortening on the curved ceiling, Sert ensures that from any vantage point, the Titan seems to watch. This was intentional: he wanted visitors to feel seen by the eternal judge of human deeds, not merely to observe it from afar. The sensation of being watched underscores the mural’s message—that all human actions are subject to the perpetual scrutiny of Time.
Sert further anchors the painting to its surroundings by integrating it directly into the building’s architecture. The Titan’s feet and the great scales seem to rest on the marble columns themselves, merging illusion and structure into a single unified environment.
In the same lobby, Sert’s mural American Progress also features heroic Titans, but in a different symbolic role. American Progress celebrates the achievements made possible by the union of intellect and labor, while Time reminds us that every accomplishment—no matter how impressive—will ultimately be evaluated by the long, impartial gaze of history.
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