Tucked against a stand of trees at the top of a hill in Morningside Park is an unusual sight: the Statue of Liberty taking a rest. Artist Zaq Landsberg’s “Reclining Liberty” is a massive musing on the state of American ideals. The Statue of Liberty is a classic New York symbol, standing proudly in New York Bay to welcome visitors and immigrants to the United States. But in Landsberg’s version, she seems tired, taking a pose inspired by the Reclining Buddha, meant to depict the Buddha in his last moments of life. The pose has a hopeful connotation, however, as it can be understood to represent the last step on a path towards enlightenment. With this work, Landsberg is questioning whether Lady Liberty, or indeed if the US is “an entity forever upright and tall, is it an eventual decline and fall, or is there another stage for the country that will transcend this symbol altogether?" The sculpture manages to be humorous and charming, while provoking serious contemplation about American ideals.