Vanderbilt Hotel Bacchus Architectural Remnant, 1912

About the Item

From the 1912 Vanderbilt Hotel in New York City, Manhattan, located on Park Ave. In the 20th century, the hotel business declined, and the Vanderbilt Hotel suffered foreclosure in 1935 during the Great Depression. In 1966, an investment group purchased the 54-year old structure with intentions of renovating it into a dual function office and apartment building. The top 18 floors would become studio and one-bedroom apartments while the lower floors would be offices and commercial space. “New aluminum-and-glass curtain walls are being erected to sheath the office floors, while the masonry façade of the hotel will be retained on the upper stories,” said one article. But that was just the beginning of the brutality. Penthouse apartments were being constructed on the roof, but the view was obstructed by the terracotta parapet and its massive sculptures. In June 1966 eighteen of the heads were removed, resulting in a gash in the roofline. “The heavy pieces were removed over a period of several days by a 10-man crew of the Drachman Demolition Company,” said The New York Times, “which used jack hammers to cut them off the parapet.” This rare gem is one of the original sculptures of Bacchus from the roof of the Vanderbilt hotel made by the New Jersey Terra Cotta Company in 1912. A triumphant symbol of luxury and bounty, Bacchus adorns his environment with a wicked smile and the promise of a raucous good time in the garden and home.

Dimensions:

Height: 60 in (152.4 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Terracotta,Other

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

Early 20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1912

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. This listing is for the sculpture only. This price does not include the plinth statue is sitting on in photographs.