When the animals speak…

1998 34th Street–Penn Station (1, 2, 3) New York City Transit

In her series of mosaics, Elizabeth Grajales shows wild beasts in a pastoral setting, reminiscent of 19th-century paintings such as the "Peaceable Kingdom" by Edward Hicks. One features a pair of lions happily coexisting with birds. A nearby stream (representing the Hudson River) with cliffs behind (the Palisades in New Jersey) form the backdrop. In another mosaic, a bear contentedly watches a doe and her young. Other panels show birds in flight and nesting. "As a child on shopping trips," notes Grajales, "I found the station dull and colorless. I wanted to give people something cheerful but also calming — a refuge in the city. That's why I used gentle colors like golden ochre and pale blues and greens for these idyllic Garden of Eden scenes."