Bronx school paints over famous New Deal-era mural

[Me.]

“They don’t just teach history at Dewitt Clinton High School — they cover it up too.

School officials wrecked a beautiful New Deal-era mural at the storied Bronx high school by slathering a coat of high-gloss, cotton-candy blue paint over it.

"Constellations" by German-born painter Alfred Floegel was installed on the ceiling outside DeWitt Clinton's library in 1940. It depicted the stars in the heavens alongside another large-scale Floegel mural called "History of the World."

The paintings, deemed Floegel’s masterpieces, were both used in history lessons. They also appear in the Department of Education’s online art collection, “Public Art for Public Schools.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-metro-bronx-school-mural-ruined-20180608-story.html

[Me.]

1. More

“It is a kind of Sistine Chapel of New Deal artworks,” wrote Richard Walker, a University of California/Berkley professor who directs the Living New Deal project, which aims to preserve New Deal-era artworks.

Floegel, who was born in 1894 and died in 1976, worked on the paintings for six years, Walker wrote in 2015 on his project’s website. At the time, he was teaching night courses at DeWitt Clinton, school staffers said.

Half of his masterpiece disappeared in November, when construction workers painted over the ceiling mural to spruce up for a visit by then-schools chancellor Carmen Farina, according to school staffers.

Farina never made the visit.”...cont...

[DRoseDARs]

2. Someone fucked up big time. Unclear who authorized, but clear it wasn't legitimately authorized.

Not the painters' fault, they just did a job they were paid for. Seeing those pictures, this wasn't something you just "oopsies" paint over, someone has to say, "Yeah, paint over that. All of that. No, yeah, it's fine. Yes, I'm sure..."

[Me.]

3. Phillistines!

[babylonsister]

4. How disgusting. And no punishment

will ever get it back, unless restorers are really good. There's a thought. And whomever authorized it should pay.

[Glorfindel]

5. Brutish, ignorant vandals.

[dembotoz]

6. local high school had some similar artwork....sold it for bigggggggggggggggggggggggg bucks