God on the Rainbow Blueprints

Carl Milles created the sketch model for the sculpture God Our Father on the Rainbow in 1946.  The sculpture was Milles's idea for a fountain to be located in front of the United Nations building in New York City.  The fountain would have cascaded into the East River.  The UN building began construction on the building in 1947, and opened in 1952.  After Milles passed away in 1955 the idea was scrapped.

In 1995 Marshall Fredericks received a commission to build the sculpture in Nacka Strand, Sweden, a suburb of Stockholm.  Fredericks, then age 87, took the commission to honor his mentor and friend Carl Milles.  Fredericks created the sculpture from the original Milles model.  The monumental 60 foot sculpture was finished in 1995.

"God Our Father on the Rainbow", Nacka Strand, Sweden

"God Our Father on the Rainbow", Nacka Strand, Sweden. Photo: Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives

​​Below are the rarely seen site blueprints for the project from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives.

Blueprint for the stars. Photo: Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives

Feet positioning blueprint. Photo: Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives

Blueprint for curves and angles of fountain. Photo: Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives

Blueprint for the water pump station and pipes. Photo: Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Archives

Further reading: Carl Milles’ Playing Angels: A Slice of Sweden in Philadelphia

By: Geoffe Haney ~ Collections Manager