Artwork by Metal Muralist Nikos Bel-Jon
Artwork by Metal Muralist Nikos Bel-Jon
Artwork by Metal Muralist Nikos Bel-Jon
Artwork by Metal Muralist Nikos Bel-Jon
Artwork by Metal Muralist Nikos Bel-Jon
Calling all museums, colleges, and hospitals, among publicly accessible spaces! Time is of the essence to relocate and preserve the highly significant “Medical Research Through The Ages” mosaic and steel mural at the former Pfizer World Headquarters at 235 East 42nd Street. This rare work of art is salvageable, but at risk of being lost forever if no party of interest comes forward to accept its donation by developers in early to mid-September.
The 36-foot by 14-foot mural is considered to be a foremost achievement in the world of engineering based on construction and illumination. It was completed in 1960 by nationally significant mosaic muralist Nikos Bel-Jon (1911 – 1966), a Manhattan resident who immigrated from Greece, and was commissioned by Pfizer for its longtime headquarters’ lobby. Regardless of feelings toward Pfizer, the intrinsic value of this historic masterpiece, is to be valued independently. In 2023, Pfizer relocated to Hudson Yards, but mural plans remained unclear. Now the Modernist commercial high-rise is undergoing a largest residential conversion.
A core committee of preservationists and Bel-Jon’s descendants are working swiftly with hopes of transporting the exquisite mosaic mural that opens the door to medical education. It is considered to be only one of 14 existing large-scale murals that his family is aware of. It is believed that he created 42 large-scale works, as well as 8 smaller existing important works. In all, it is believed that he created 188 metal works.
“It is critical to find a home, whether permanent or temporary, immediately to ensure the preservation of this masterpiece,” said Bel-Jon’s daughter, Rhea Bel-Jon Calkins of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Along with her sister, Athena Bel-Jon DeBonis of Hudson, New York, they are tirelessly advocating to rescue their father’s monumental work.
Bel-Jon’s mural represents a one-of-a-kind achievement, since he was the originator of the “painting with light” technique in art. They explained, “Our father labored to create murals on metal, and his talents in those techniques have been unequalled to this day. He became a master of using abrasion on metal to create form and movement. Combined with his extensive education in fine arts, whether he used hard edges on aluminum, as in the 1950s, and The Pfizer Mural or a more free-form approach as in his 1960s stainless steel pieces, his accomplishments are unparalleled.”
The idea that two of Bel-Jon’s murals were in prominent locations, such as Air India at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, and one gracing the Greek Consulate, speaks volumes to his vitality to the art scene of 1960s New York and beyond, according to Calkins.
The mural’s historically brilliant depictions include Emperor Shen-Nung (circa 2700 B.C.), Doctor of Salerno (circa 800 A.D.), Sister of St. Martha, Andreas Vesalius (1514 – 1564), Dr. William Harvey (1578 – 1657), Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632 – 1723), Dr. Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823), Dr. Walter Reed (1851 – 1915), Dr. Paul Ehrlich (1854 – 1915), and St. Luke, as well as alchemical symbols.
“The Father of Medicine,” Hippocrates (circa 400 B.C.), modified medical history’s course in the western world through practices of studying case histories, observing “the whole patient,” and “aiding nature to heal.” Another depiction is English bacteriologist Sir Alexander Fleming (1881 – 1955), who discovered penicillin and was published in the Journal of Experimental Pathology in 1929, and awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945. As for French chemist Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895), he significantly influenced medicine by working with microorganisms, laying a foundation for controlled fermentation synthesis of medicinal and industrial chemicals. He established the germ etiology of infectious disease.
Nine large laboratory beakers and flasks are stylistically featured, where various elements were subjected to unique interpretations by Bel-Jon. They include magnified crystals of pharmaceutical compounds, chemical production’s heavy equipment, Paracelsus (circa 1493 – 1511), Rhazes (circa 865 – 925), a microscope and chemical distillation and lab equipment, a Middle Eastern physician, and a Hindu deity.
Bel-Jon’s grave marker at Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens reads “Metal Muralist” and features a mosaic-inspired sculpture. He has been honored at mural site visits and commemorative gatherings by his descendants, and at Friends of Maple Grove’s “Spirits Alive” reenactment.
Interested in acquiring and relocating this foremost mural? Email singingtiger36@yahoo.com
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