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A wealthy New York property developer says he posted a massive portrait of himself and his new wife on the side of one of his buildings as a "proclamation of love".
- The banner was plastered on Mr Macklowe's building at 342 Park Ave, the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere
- The gesture was criticised as a swipe at his ex-wife, Linda, following a divorce he claims cost him $US2 billion
- Mr Macklowe, however, said he hung the banner because he was "proud of my wife, my life, my friends and colleagues"
Harry Macklowe, 82, who previously made headlines over his expensive divorce proceedings, hung the portrait of his new wife, Patricia Landeau, to mark their wedding last week.
It was plastered on a corner of 342 Park Avenue, the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.
The banner, measuring about 13 metres high and seven metres wide, was reportedly visible from blocks away in New York City.
Mr Macklowe told The New York Post he was proud to "share this moment of joy and happiness".
"Our smiling faces will be on a building that I built — and I am proud of my wife, my life, my friends and colleagues," he said.
The very public display of affection was criticised, on social media and in local papers, for being petty, with some interpreting the banner as a swipe against his ex-wife, Linda Macklowe.
When he explained the thought process behind the banner, Mr Macklowe said it was a "proclamation of love".
"I thought: 'I own a building. Why don't I just hang a banner from my own building?'" he told The New York Times.
The building was the same one at the centre of his divorce negotiations, with he and his ex-wife warring over adjoining apartments.
Mr Macklowe's wedding reception was held in the building, with The Post detailing how the 78th floor was completely remodelled into a ballroom for the occasion.
Earlier this year, a judge ordered the Macklowes to sell their art collection, with an estimated worth of more than $990 million, amassed during their 58-year marriage.
They were ordered to split the profits of the sale 50-50.
Art News reported their collection comprised of about 165 works, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Jeff Coons and Jackson Pollock.
The pair's split was fodder for gossip when The New York Post broke the news in 2016, with the separation being referred to as "the $2 billion divorce".