Joan Miró, Moonbird

14-40 West 58th Street

Before Joan Miró's fourteen-foot Moonbird sat in front of the north side of the Solow Building, an Alexander Calder teetered over pedestrians walking down 58th Street. One day, a strong gust of wind tragically toppled the sculpture. Since the twelve-foot Calder could've turned into death-by-art for passersby, the developer decided a more stable piece would avoid an impending death zone.

Solow was already a Miró fan and had a six-foot copy of Moonbird in his personal collection. When he found out there was a larger bronze available, he snapped it up for the rest of New York to enjoy. The curvy sculpture is reminiscent of ancient fertility goddesses, a creature that feels part animal, part human, and part fantasy. Named for its lunar-shaped face, the original was hand sculpted without preparatory drawings, in a style that is a mesh of Miró's interest in both Surrealism and ancient art.

It sits on a great spot: next to the beautiful windows at Bergdorf Goodman and across from the gorgeous old glamour of the Plaza Hotel.