- Description
- Print by Lili Réthi (1894-1969), dated October 17, 1968, depicting the construction of the World Trade Center site. The illustrated area is fully excavated, with construction beginning on the site's belowground parking levels. The PATH tunnel is visible towards the bottom. On the right side, the Hudson River and West Side Highway is depicted alongside the beginning construction of Battery Park City. The artist's signature appears in the lower left corner.
- Historical Notes
- To capture the grandeur of the World Trade Center’s construction, architectural artists Lili Réthi and Nicholas Solovioff made sketches for the Port Authority beginning in 1967. These prints chronicle the rise of the Twin Towers through 1973. Books of these illustrations went to World Trade Center consultants, collaborators, and prospective tenants as gifts.
Curator's Comment
Lili Réthi (1894-1969) was born in Vienna, Austria and studied at the Art School for Women and Girls in 1917. She also studied under artists Otto Friedrich and Sir Frank William Brangwyn. Early in her career, she focused on industrial growth made possible by human labor. Réthi fled Vienna as the Nazis rose to power and immigrated to the United States in 1939, eventually settling in New York City. She illustrated over 50 books, many with a focus on architectural and engineering subjects. Another construction-site drawing project she produced featured the Verrazano Bridge. Réthi worked to build rapport with those whose work she was documenting and captured their humanity alongside the built environment. Her work can be seen in numerous museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
- Accession Number: C.2022.20.5
- Dimensions: 12.5 in X 18.5 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 31.75 cm X 46.99 cm
- Source: John Jay and Gail Schwartz
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Jay and Gail Schwartz
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