DANIEL BURNHAM. The Railway Exchange. Triptych of Progress. A Second Look.

Maybe not so mysterious  after all. (See Post Below.)  It just took a bit of low light. And a patient security guard who thought I was crazy. But harmless enough.......

Progress is flanked by Commerce and Industry. Civilization is flanked by Art and Science. And just in case anybody's confused.... the "modeler" gave us some clues. (Below).

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The railroad wheel with wings (kicking up a bit of dust) is my favorite. There is no doubt that terra cotta in Chicago was/is art.
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The most astonishing thing about this composition is its scale. It is white, like the building, not an applique. And therefore "of the building." A conceptual unity with the whole, which shows an incredible level of detail. More on this in the next post.
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And about that mandolin. (See previous post.) It is certainly a rudder. Thanks due to Facebook friend SBK.