Art - 17 March 2023 - By C. Mauer

The Living Hotel De Medici

A work of art for Düsseldorf.

An interview with Léa Rogacki,

Director of Reservations Living Hotel De Medici

Historic building - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Düsseldorf, 17 March 2023: A hotel that enters into a symbiosis with its art objects and appears as a work of art itself. A museum and a cabinet of wonders of art from the late Middle Ages to modern times, collected by the senior owner Dr. Max W. Schlereth. The hotel is a dedication to the Medici family, whose culture found its way here on the Rhine through the Florentine princess Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici Medici - and finally, the art collection of the Hotel De Medici is also a generous gift to the city of Düsseldorf.

The history of the Medici family has always fascinated the founder, Dr. Max W. Schlereth. The breathtakingly rapid rise of the Medici from a merchant family to the rulers of Florence, providing popes and linking themselves dynastically with the French and Austrian ruling houses. The end of the Medici as grand dukes of Tuscany was marked by Anna Maria Luisa's childless reign. It was she who elevated Düsseldorf to the rank of a metropolis of art.

An interview with Léa Rogacki, Director of Reservations at the Living Hotel De Medici about the origins of the art collection and the value of an Art Hotel.

The Living Hotel De Medici is known as "Little Louvre on the Rhine" - as a house that resembles a museum and has one of the largest hotel art collections. How did your hotel's art collection come about and who curates your art collection today?

Léa Rogacki: For us as a Derag group of companies, art is part of our DNA. Initiated by the pronounced love of art of the company's founder Dr. Max W. Schlereth, art can be found in all areas of our company and also in all of our 17 serviced apartment hotels from Munich to Düsseldorf to Vienna - and always in such a way that the style of art fits the respective hotel. Here at Hotel De Medici, the guest experiences art very present and in a thoroughly accomplished form.

In our time, is art in hotels a luxury or a necessity? Why is art important in a hotel?

Léa Rogacki: On the one hand, the art in our hotel stands for a special corporate DNA and that hotels are also allowed to have their own personality. On the other hand, this part also reflects a high degree of permanence, a circumstance that is justified and necessary, especially in today's times. And of course it also carries on the family history. For this, a look at the company history is helpful. Dr. Max W. Schlereth founded his company in the early 50s as a property developer. From this, 3 company pillars have developed: property developer, real estate company and the hotels. In 1982 we opened the first apartment hotel in Munich and have grown steadily ever since. Parallel to this, his collection has also grown steadily. He had a great fondness for tapestries, for example. That is why today original tapestries are on display in each of our hotels, each of which is a magnificent piece in its own right.

In addition, Max W. Schlereth collected historical art in various forms: Pipes and walking sticks, sacred sculptures and statues as well as Greek and Egyptian art. I can still remember his opening speech here, when he said that his family kept asking him when he would open a museum. To which he replied "I can't do museum, but I can do hotel." The De Medici, an old Düsseldorf townhouse, was therefore predestined to turn his wish into reality and to exhibit part of his private art collection here for guests and visitors from all over the world. 

How did the concept and name of the hotel relate to the Medici family?

Léa Rogacki: This is where the connection to Anna Luisa de Medici, Jan-Wellem's second wife, comes into play. Our company founder wanted to create a very special place for human encounters, to design a representative setting for part of his art collection, and also to dedicate a worthy place of remembrance to Anna Maria Luisa de Medici and the entire Medici dynasty. This is evidenced by the large number of exhibits dedicated to the De Medicis: from the replica of the church ceiling from the family church of San Lorenzo to the portraits of the Medici family.

"Everything that can be seen in the hotel, from the interior to the art is completely based on his vision that he always had of this house here."

Can you say something about the vision of Dr. Max W. Schlereth and his taste in art?

Léa Rogacki: The art exhibited here was selected by our senior owner and corresponds to his passion and beautiful spirit. It was important to him that classical, historical art be exhibited here throughout. Since the opening of the house, the art collection has existed as it is. Dr. Max W. Schlereth had invested a lot of time in the run-up and over the years to personally select and position the exhibits. Everything that can be seen in the hotel, from the interior to the art is completely based on his vision that he always had of this house here. On this basis we have also designed the art book "A Stroll of Art", which describes in detail the history of the house and the collection.

What do you think of the category "Art Hotel". Does this have the meaning that a design hotel had 20 years ago?

Léa Rogacki: Art hotel is a trendy term for hotels, as it exists in every era. It was very trendy 20 years ago. But the category "trend" is not in our corporate philosophy, because every trend is replaced by a new movement after X amount of time. We pursue real, sustainable consistency. We don't see ourselves in a category but we want to be a company that stands for timeless, honest and genuine values that never go out of fashion. That's why we don't live with art because it was or is ever in, but because it's part of our core DNA.

What is it like when a guest enters the entrance hall and experiences art for the first time? Which art do guests react to most emotionally?

Léa Rogacki: Indeed, the first moment is always special to observe when new guests visit us: there the eyes of our guests go from left to right, from right to left and from top to bottom ... and is already one in the best "Is that but beautiful here" conversation. This place has a real magic of the first moment. Personally, I've witnessed many of these surprise moments and can associate a different guest story with each art object and corner.

Especially with in-house events, guests come into contact with the art much more quickly through interaction. We can also integrate the art directly into events. For example, we host tours during coffee breaks and can offer guests a very special experience.

Which guests visit your hotel?

Léa Rogacki: It's a very colorful mix. On the one hand, we have a lot of business travelers, as we offer ideal conditions for business travelers at Living Hotels: for example, we have 58 apartments in the building in various, very stately sizes with fully equipped kitchens, desks in the rooms and fast wifi, so many business people stay with us for weeks if they have a project in the city or also want to work from the hotel. The spectrum here ranges from entrepreneurs to board members of DAX companies to upper management level. Especially when you are away from home for weeks at a time, guests really appreciate our "2nd Home away from Home" approach. On the other hand, we have of course many private guests from all over the world who visit Düsseldorf or who come to us for a weekend especially because of our art collection and simply find it special to spend the night in a historical ambience.

"It is one of the milestones of his life's work

and will certainly remain the same."

You have been in the house since day one. What are your highlights?

Léa Rogacki: One of my highlights has always been to personally accompany guests on tours of the house, because I always got the nice feedback that they could take something home with them from it. As a result, the De Medici holds a special place in their memories. But I also enjoyed accompanying Düsseldorfers through the house, because we also see the Hotel De Medici and its furnishings as a gift to the city of Düsseldorf.

Does the new owner Prof. Dr. Max M. Schlereth have new art plans for the hotel?

Léa Rogacki: You would have to ask Prof. Dr. Max Schlereth, but I can't imagine that. The De Medici lives and breathes the spirit of the senior owner: it is one of the milestones of his life's work and will certainly remain the same.

What he has definitely passed on to his son is a high affinity for art as such. Prof. Schlereth has also furnished the hotels built more recently under his aegis with art and originals. In keeping with the more modern style of the hotels, more contemporary art can be found here, for example in our Living Hotel Das Viktualienmarkt in Munich. Here, Dirk Holger's colorful tapestry "The Saving Light" adorns the lobby and bar area and creates a great symbiosis with the noble modern interior.

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Where to find:

LIVING HOTEL DE MEDICI

Mühlenstraße 31, 40213 Düsseldorf

www.living-hotels.com

A small art tour of the Living Hotel De Medici

Portrait of Elector Johann Wilhelm and his wife Anna Maria Luisa

Jan Frans van Douven

In the entrance hall there is a painting, a double portrait by the Dutch painter Jan Frans van Douven from 1708, showing Elector Johann Wilhelm - affectionately called "Jan Wellem" in the vernacular and his art-loving wife Anna Maria Luisa, who are depicted as equals. At their instigation, a world-class picture gallery was created, which established Düsseldorf's fame as an art metropolis. 

Building

The building is a design of Schinkel and designed in an unobtrusive simplicity with classicist facade. Initially it was used as a Jesuit monastery and college building, and later as the seat of government and administration. The hotel "De Medici", is directly adjacent to the baroque St. Andrew's Church, the burial place of Elector Johann Wilhelm II of the Palatinate (1658-1716). 

Medici coat of arms

In the entrance portal of the "De Medici" Hotel, the Medici coat of arms catches the eye. The coat of arms shows Byzantine gold coins on red blazon. The legend is that the Medici, since they belonged to the Bank Guild, adopted its coat of arms. The escutcheon is blazoned on a golden background. On it float five red pills ("palle"), the top one of which is royal blue. Actually also painted red, the Medici, as a sign of solidarity with the French royal house from 1465 on, were allowed to color this palle blue and add three golden lilies ("fleur-de-lys"). The improvement of the coat of arms is thus an expression of their social advancement. 

Entrance area and the foyer

The cool elegance of the "Venus Italica" contrasts with the Renaissance foyer. It is a marble sculpture by the sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822), a master of Italian classicism. With this sculpture, Canova also adapted the formal language of the famous "Medicean Venus", an ancient Roman copy of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, created around 300 BC and long owned by the Medici. Canova wanted his Venus to combine the ancient ideal with real-life models of his time. Princess Leopoldine of Esterházy (1788-1846) is said to have stood in portrait.

"Venus Italica"

Antonio Canova

"Venus Italica" - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Entrance  - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Renaissance coffered ceiling

The luminous shimmer of gold leaf is immediately noticeable upon entering the foyer. The famous Medici Renaissance ceiling is painted with antique quotes. The special feature of the coffered ceiling is formed by four coats of arms embedded on the central axis of the ceiling. Of these, one bead in dark blue bears the Medici coat of arms. The ceiling is a faithful replica of the famous coffered ceiling of San Lorenzo, the Medici family church in Florence, one of the first sacred Renaissance buildings.

Reception in Egyptian style

At the hotel reception, the rear relief friezes with ancient Egyptian motifs stand out. Napoleon's Egyptian campaign from 1798 to 1801 sparked a strong interest in this culture, especially when ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing was deciphered in 1799 after the discovery of the "Rosetta Stone" in the Nile Delta.

The reliefs at the reception desk depict ancient Egyptian scenes of everyday life, all of which relate to the Nile, Egypt's lifeline.

The foyer amazes how it can harmoniously unite such diverse art forms. The question arises whether the Medici, as the first patrons of the arts, would not have collected ancient Egyptian art had it been discovered during the Renaissance.

Gehstock Collection

Art in the house - staircase - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Electoral suite, "Kurfürstensuite"

The baroque theme continues in the Prince's Suite. It is completely furnished in the spirit of princely splendor of the 18th century, the age of Jan Wellem and Anna Maria Luisa - is accessible via the panoramic elevator of the Musenlichthof. 

Kurfürstensuite - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Kurfürstensuite - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Kurfürstensuite - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

Detail of a tapestry - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

The Egyptian Spa - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

The Egyptian Spa - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

The Egyptian Spa - Living Hotel De Medici

©Living Hotels

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