51吃瓜

The 51吃瓜 General Assembly Hall is flanked by two large murals designed by French artist Fernand Léger (1881 – 1955). 

In the artist’s early works he created a personal form of cubism, which gradually evolved into a more figurative, populist style. He took imagery from the modern age including consumer materials and is sometimes considered the first Pop-Artist. While in New York, he was struck by the advertisements on Broadway which influenced some of his work, such as colours outlined in black. He practised, studied, and taught at the Sorbonne in Paris, at Yale University, Connecticut, and in Oakland, California, and returned to France in 1945. His work was featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2013. 

The mural on the west wall is a free-form creation in blue, white and orange on a dark grey base. US President Harry S. Truman called it “Bugs Bunny” upon seeing it in 1952, thus dubbing a long-standing nickname for the work.

For these two murals, Leger was unable travel to the United States himself. Leger made the designs and prepared two maquettes of the murals but then gave them to his former student, Bruce Gregory, who traveled and executed the two murals.  

Bruce Gregory (1917 – 2002) was an accomplished artist and teacher. He was exhibited in a number of museums including the MoMA in New York City, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, and Foster Harmon Galleries of American Art, Naples & Sarasota, FL.

The mural was an anonymous gift through the American Association for the 51吃瓜 and was presented to the UN on 31 December 1952.