OK, doing a little research here. At 2:00 he begins to go on about a piece which is really called “Youth Leading Industry.” It is a work by Attilio Piccirilli and described as:

Attilio Piccirilli’s Youth Leading Industry has adorned the entrance of the International Building at 636 Fifth Avenue since its installation in May, 1936. Lit from behind, it remains an evening spectacle on Fifth Avenue. Directly above it is another of Piccirilli’s works, Commerce and Industry with a Caduceus, also installed in May, 1936.

The 16-foot high by 10-foot-wide relief, Youth Leading Industry glorified the burgeoning political movement in Italy under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. Ironically, though, Piccirilli’s nephew served and died in World War II as an American soldier. The Neo-Roman theme was typical of 1930’s fascism—the youth shall lead the way towards better times. The near-nude figure dashing ahead of the rearing horses represents empowerment and destiny, the chariot representing strenght of industry and transportation. They are controlled by a confident leader (the charioteer) guiding them towards the future. The bas-relief was cast in 45 Pyrex glass blocks, each hand-cast and unique. After casting, the models and molds were destroyed. No two ware alike and no replicas exist in the world. The small bubble like (seemingly) imperfections were intended to convey fluidity.

Beck is incorrect in stating that figure on the right represents Mussolini and is instead “the charioteer” and in fact it was the nephew of the artist that died in WWII and not his son as Beck incorrectly points out.

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