Explore the Display at the United Nations Headquarters of this artwork, War and Peace (Portinari).
Once the completed set of paintings were received in 1956 by the UN headquarters in New York City, they were placed behind glass frames in order to help prevent damage from the public.
Portinari was banned from entering the US to inaugurate the panels, due to his participation in the Communist Party.The panels were originally placed in the entrance hall of the United Nations General Assembly and were therefore viewable only by diplomats, heads of state and other delegates addressing the Assembly. Because of security issues, the paintings were not visible even to visitors on guided tours of the UN.However, the panels were still exposed to sunlight, and during the next 54 years, that exposure took its toll on the masterpieces. In 2010, the UN sent the works to Rio de Janeiro for restoration. After going through a long restoration process, the paintings were displayed to the public in Brazil and France, before being sent back to New York in December 2014. The murals remained covered until the re-inauguration on 8 September 2015.During the re-inauguration Ban Ki-moon also stated, "War and Peace are more than magnificent works of art. They are Portinari’s call to action. Thanks to him, all leaders who enter the United Nations see the terrible toll of war and the universal dream for peace."
New York City Communist Party Brazil Ban Ki-moon New York United Nations General Assembly