The architects of the Daley centre went to great lengths to secure this one of a kind statue, flying to France to persuade the celebrated Picasso to gift them with his work and tempting him with a generous reward of $100,000. To their delight, Picasso acceded, with the additional bonus of agreeing to do it completely free of charge.

When the Mayor of Chicago whipped off the fabric shielding the result of their persistence, unveiling the 162 ton sculpture elevated 50 feet over Daley Plaza, the reaction from the thousands of eager people in the crowd anticipating the reveal was not quite as they had hoped. Chicagoans, used to the basic, rule of thumb statues of great historical figures were far from impressed by the bizarre sculpture, with the Mayor’s director of special events even going so far as to press for its swift removal.

Presented titleless, people were intrigued by the mysterious figure, sparking much speculation as to what it represents. However, over the years, the peculiarity of the controversial statue has gradually won the hearts of the people. Although neither beautiful nor with any particular great meaning, the originally controversial statue has grown to become a beloved symbol amongst Chicagoans. Exactly as the Mayor has been quoted to predict from the very beginning, “what is strange to us today will be familiar tomorrow."