It is necessary to revise the history of cities, now that the city of modernity has also been reborn. Now, as the cycles of life bring forth other images from the depths of memory, images that were once modern and that for 100 and 90 years have been buried as old and useless. Among the countless archives of documents and photographs of the young twentieth century, this image of an imposing building stands out. This is old New York. It was the first stage of 1893, the old aristocratic Hotel Waldorf, which in 1897 will join the newly built Hotel Astoria in the same year, and together they will create a colossus. What is of particular interest is that the hotel giant Waldorf-Astoria survived until 1929, when it was sold to investors. It was completely demolished, and in its place of a huge block between 33rd and 34th streets, the long-term tallest building in the world, the Empire State Building, was erected. Thus, this building pictured is the forerunner of the famous building that we all admire in New York. The modernism of the 1930s was at its height, and the historic mansions of old New York were crumbling one by one. The urban aristocracy of the 1880s, described by Edith Wharton in her novels, was eager to copy Europe. He traveled, inspired, passed on ideas, plans, treasures. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, built as we have already said, as two independent buildings in 1893 and 1897, which were combined, was built in the German Renaissance style, had many floors and ends with towers. Inside, the luxury was unparalleled. The reception rooms and dining rooms were filled with antiques. Furniture, porcelain, lamps, carpets, statues, paintings, curtains, dishes were bought and brought from Europe. But this environment of extravagant luxury and untold riches gradually began to represent the world in solitude. After 1918, and especially after 1925, New York City moved at great speed into a new reality, which was already represented by new, ultra-shiny and attractive modern hotels. The Waldorf-Astoria gradually fell out of favor, and huge operating expenses led to the decision to sell it. The Empire State Building stood proudly in its place. It was opened in 1931 and until 1971 was the tallest building in the world.

Views of the world

VEIN
Klimt’s influence
The new exhibition at the Belvedere in Vienna, which opens the exhibition year, is dedicated to the artists who directly or indirectly influenced Gustav Klimt and defined the intellectual environment in Europe. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, brings together works presented together for the first time. Questions arise whether Klimt knew the work of Cezanne or Van Gogh …

ROME
Statue of Hercules
A life-size marble statue was recently discovered in Rome, in Scott’s Park, near the archaeological site of the Appian Way, during drainage work. Attributed to Hercules because of the lion’s head and mace. The find was discovered at a depth of about 10 meters and is characterized by high archaeological value. It will be boiled, conserved and become an exhibit of imperial Rome.

MANCHESTER
victorian town hall
The neo-gothic Manchester City Hall, the emblem of the British city, is in the process of restoration. It will open in 2024 and today is an elaborate form of construction site, like an art installation. It is the work of the architect Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905), one of the most prominent Britons of the 19th century. His masterpiece is the Natural History Museum in London.

LONDON
Alice Neil
The UK’s largest exhibition of the work of the American artist Alice Neal (1900-1984) opens February 16 at the London Barbican (until May 21). A multi-faceted artist, Alice Neal now regularly presents her extraordinary portraits to international audiences. The exhibition, created in collaboration with the Pompidou Center, is accompanied by photographic and film materials.

Maastricht
Terry O’Neill
A large-scale retrospective dedicated to the work of British photographer Terry O’Neill (1938–2019) has opened at the Maastricht Museum of Photography in the Netherlands. The exhibition, titled “Famous”, features more than 125 portraits of music legends, movie stars and fashion icons, mostly from the 60s and 70s. Pictured are Terry O’Neill and Frank Sinatra in Miami in 1968.