Honoring the African-American Experience

Invisible Man: A Memorial to Ralph Ellison

Sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, 2003
Riverside Park at 150th Street, Manhattan
Bronze, granite

This sculpture honors author Ralph Ellison, who lived opposite this park. It consists of a bronze monolith through which is cut the silhouette of a striding man --a literal allusion to Ellison's epic novel, Invisible Man. A quotation from the novel and biographical details relating to Ellison are inscribed in low-lying pink granite wall framing an oval landscape designed by Ken Smith.

Read the Historical Sign for Invisible Man