Giant gems

In the midst of any season, the campus abounds with delights for the eye and spirit, including five oversized sculptures of varying shapes and styles. Take a stroll and trek to these hulking beauties, crafted from bronze, molded concrete, and steel. Each piece offers a unique experience for the beholder.

Aspire

Like a petrified bronze fountain sprouting upwards, Aspire provides a dreamy, curving, twisting antidote to its surroundings. It sits on the lawn of Book and Snake, a windowless white marble building, or “tomb,” that resembles an imposing Greek temple complete with iconic columns. Aspire, commissioned and donated by Ed Barlow ’56, was installed in the summer of 2021. Along with new landscaping, this beautiful sculpture has given the grounds around Book and Snake a welcome refresh and Yalies a compelling reason to visit and admire.

Location: 214 Grove Street
Date: 2020
Material: bronze
Artist: Archie Held (b. 1955)
Collection: Book and Snake

Habakuk

Standing stoically like a wingless blackbird, Habakuk looms large for anyone strolling through Cross Campus. At nearly 15 feet tall and weighing almost 5,000 pounds, Habakuk’s vertical design comprises stacked, segmented forms creating a commanding presence. Visitors are invited to view it from different angles to better appreciate its abstract elements. Habakuk commemorated the inauguration of President Emeritus Peter Salovey ’86 Ph.D. and was donated to Yale in 2005 by Jeffrey H. Loria ’62.

Location: Cross Campus outside of William L. Harkness Hall.
Date: 1970
Material: bronze
Artist: Max Ernst (1891 – 1976)
Collection: Yale University Art Gallery

Lampson Lions

This pair of large, growling lions — that once sat atop Lampson Lyceum — has guarded the Central Power Plant since the 1930s. Salvaged from Lampson Hall when it was demolished to make room for Berkeley College, these lions are hard to miss when strolling down Tower Parkway. Their scowling faces, wavy manes, and pointy claws create an imposing presence. Weighing in at one and a half tons each and standing over 6 feet tall, these lions make for a striking selfie backdrop.

Location: Tower Parkway
Date: 1903
Artist: Cady, Berg & See (designed Lampson Hall)
Material: Brownstone
Collection: Yale Office of Facilities

Lightweb

Lightweb, a 15-foot totemic cluster of white ellipses, stands out against the stark stone rubble and mortar walls of Ezra Stiles College. This 1,200-pound sculpture has been at its current location since 2011 and was donated to the Yale University Art Gallery by Charles B. Benenson ’33. If walking toward Ezra Stiles’s front gate or the Shops at Yale on Broadway, turn onto the alleyway at Mory’s and head straight for the sculpture. Even on a gloomy day, this welded steel whimsy brightens that area. Stop to contemplate this jumble of interlocking shapes, and its playful design will lift your spirits.

Location: Ezra Stiles College front gate
Date: 1991
Material: painted welded steel
Artist: Alexander Liberman (1912-1999)
Collection: Yale University Art Gallery

Nivola Sculptures

A hop, skip, and a jump from the fierce Lampson Lions are two molded concrete figures on the lawn and along the walkways behind Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges. These free-standing stocky figures are open to individual interpretation — one slightly resembles a much smaller version of the Moai figures on Easter Island. Part of a larger grouping of 35 concrete and sand-cast sculptures of varying sizes that adorn the exterior walls, parapets, and courtyards of Morse and Stiles Colleges, these chunky, faceless yard gnomes add a unique artistic touch to that greenspace.

Location: Tower Parkway, across from Payne Whitney Gym
Date: 1962
Material: Molded concrete
Artist: Costantino Nivola (1911 - 1988)
Collection: Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges