Real Estate Tycoon Elie Hirschfeld Acquires Bronze Sculpture of the Statue of Liberty

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Elie Hirschfeld, President and CEO of Hirschfeld Properties LLC and avid art collector, recently acquired the bronze sculpture of the Statue of Liberty by French artist Arman (1928-2005) through Christie's New York. The piece will join Hirschfeld's breadth of New York-themed art. Arman was a French-born American artist best known for his deconstruction and re-composition of objects as part of the "Nouveau Realisme (New Realism)" movement.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101110/NY97176 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101110/NY97176 )

"Slices of Liberty," which celebrates the Statue of Liberty's centennial dates back to 1986 when the French-born American began the piece. Measuring 29 and 5/8 inches by 8 and 1/2 inches by 11 inches, the piece was originally acquired directly from the artist and entered into a private New York Collection. Later, however, the sculpture was obtained by Christie's of New York City.

Among the pieces in Mr. Hirschfeld's collection is a "maquette," or model, of the Statue of the Liberty sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the original sculptor of the famous statue standing in New York Harbor. Mr. Hirschfeld's collection includes over 100 pieces by many different artists, including Norman Rockwell, Thomas Hart Benton, George Luks, and Saul Steinberg.

About Elie Hirschfeld

President and CEO of Hirschfeld Properties since 1997, Elie Hirschfeld has dedicated his professional life to real estate development planning and implementation. Since joining the company in 1976, Mr. Hirschfeld's projects have included the development of prominent New York City properties such as the Grand Sutton, the Hotel Pennsylvania, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and Park Avenue Court.

Mr. Hirschfeld is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the company and leading all aspects of development including new project analysis, lease marketing and negotiation, legal strategies, and architectural and construction management. Elie Hirschfeld directed Hirschfeld Properties, LLC into partnerships with other distinguished real estate development firms such as the Zeckendorf Organization, the Donald Trump Organization, The Silverstein Organization, Empire Realty Group, Belz Enterprises of Memphis and the shopping mall development group, The Mel Simon Organization.

Additionally, Hirschfeld is an avid sportsman, having completed the New York City Marathon and the New York City Triathlon several times, and the Mighty Hamptons Triathlon for the last twenty consecutive years.

SOURCE Elie Hirschfeld