The Garden Transformed: Franz von Hellenbach’s Vision of Greenbelt Through Time
A Remarkable Discovery
In what scholars are now calling “the most profound evidence of von Hellenbach’s temporal displacements,” a recently authenticated watercolor from his private collection depicts not just a single moment from Manila’s future, but an impossible layering of multiple time periods centered around what we now know as Greenbelt in Makati. This extraordinary painting, dated 1872, suggests that in his final year before disappearing, von Hellenbach’s experience of time itself became increasingly fluid and complex.
Artwork Description
This astonishing watercolor centers on the Urdaneta Church (Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel), rendered with von Hellenbach’s characteristic architectural precision. The church stands amid lush tropical vegetation and walking paths, depicted in the fully saturated colors and detailed brushwork typical of his established style.
What makes this painting unique in the von Hellenbach collection is his unprecedented technique of overlaying multiple temporal visions within a single composition. Emerging from and surrounding the solid church structure are gossamer-like architectural forms—translucent suggestions of glass pavilions, modern walkways, and commercial structures that would not exist for more than a century after the painting’s creation. These ghostly elements are rendered in paler washes that contrast with the more definitive historical elements.
The human figures in the painting show a similar temporal multiplicity. In the foreground, von Hellenbach has painted people in the attire of his own era—women in long dresses with parasols, men in formal 19th-century suits—while among them move transparent figures in modern clothing, carrying shopping bags or sitting at café tables that don’t yet exist.
Technical analysis confirms this work’s authenticity as a genuine von Hellenbach creation from the early 1870s. The paper composition, pigments, and primary brushwork all match his established techniques. However, the overlaying of multiple temporal elements represents a significant evolution in his artistic approach—perhaps reflecting a change in his experience of the displacements themselves.
Journal Entry
A journal entry dated September 14, 1872, provides crucial context for understanding this remarkable painting:
September 14, 1872 – My displacement today was unlike any previous experience. Rather than finding myself in a single moment of future Manila, I perceived multiple times simultaneously, as if various eras had become transparent and overlaid upon one another. The sanctuary I previously documented remained constant—a spiritual anchor amid temporal flux—but the surrounding gardens appeared in constant transformation before my eyes.
One moment I observed only green spaces with tropical plantings surrounding the church; the next, these dissolved into magnificent pavilions of glass and light, filled with Manileños engaged in activities of commerce and leisure. Most disorienting were the human figures that shifted between times—women in crinolines and parasols would momentarily transform into young ladies in trousers carrying colorful bags from shops that existed only in glimpses.
I struggled to capture this layered reality with conventional technique. By applying washes of varying opacity, I have attempted to suggest the ghostly quality of these future structures emerging from present greenery. I cannot tell if this experience represents a deterioration of my faculties after so many displacements or an evolution in my perception—perhaps time itself is not the rigid progression we imagine but a simultaneous existence of all moments, briefly perceptible to those who have slipped between its conventional boundaries.
When asking a passing vendor (who appeared variously in colonial garb and then in futuristic attire I cannot properly describe) the name of this remarkable place, I received the same answer regardless of which temporal version answered: “This is Greenbelt, señor.” The continuity of place amidst temporal transformation struck me as profoundly significant.
The Von Hellenbach Paradox Deepens
This watercolor represents the most complex temporal vision in the von Hellenbach collection. While his earlier works depicted single moments from Manila’s future—specific buildings or locations as they would appear decades later—this painting attempts to capture the entire evolution of a space across more than a century of development.
Expert Commentary
Architectural historian Dr. Manuel Santos adds: “What makes this painting particularly valuable is its accurate depiction of Greenbelt’s evolution. Von Hellenbach captured not just the original church and green space but also prefigured the phased development that would transform the area into a premier shopping destination over many decades. The glass pavilions, elevated walkways, and integration of natural and commercial spaces all anticipate design elements that wouldn’t emerge until the late 20th and early 21st centuries.”
A Prophecy Fulfilled
Modern visitors to Greenbelt are often struck by the painting’s accuracy when it is displayed in exhibitions. The juxtaposition of the historical Urdaneta Church with the surrounding luxury retail environment creates precisely the temporal layering that von Hellenbach attempted to capture. The modern glass structures, open-air restaurants, and landscaped walkways surrounding the preserved chapel space have fulfilled his vision with uncanny precision.
Comparing the painting with contemporary photographs of Greenbelt reveals von Hellenbach somehow anticipated specific architectural elements that would not be designed for more than a century. The curved glass pavilions, the arrangement of retail spaces around central garden areas, and even the integration of water features all appear as ghostly suggestions in his 1872 watercolor.
The Final Clue
Some scholars now believe this painting may provide the most significant clue to von Hellenbach’s ultimate fate. The increasingly fluid nature of his temporal displacements, as documented in this work, suggests he was losing his anchor to his own time. His journal entries from late 1872 and early 1873 frequently mention a “thinning of the boundaries between times” and a sense that “the displacements grow longer while my returns to Vienna become brief interludes.”
His final journal entry, dated just three days before his disappearance in April 1873, contains this haunting passage:
I can no longer distinguish with certainty which time is my own. Vienna feels increasingly distant and dreamlike, while Manila’s futures appear with ever greater solidity. During today’s displacement, I remained for what seemed several days, establishing a small routine of morning coffee at a pavilion that overlooked both garden and glass towers simultaneously. A curious Filipino gentleman who introduced himself as a “heritage architect” engaged me in lengthy conversation about the evolution of sacred spaces in urban environments, apparently taking my antiquated dress and mannerisms as some sort of professional affectation rather than temporal displacement.
I find myself wondering: what if I simply remained? What if, when the sensation of return begins, I resist it? The thought both terrifies and exhilarates me. To be untethered from one’s proper time is perhaps madness, yet I find myself increasingly drawn to these future moments that feel, paradoxically, more substantial than my present.
The Enduring Mystery
This watercolor of Greenbelt represents not just an artistic achievement but perhaps the most profound evidence yet of von Hellenbach’s claimed temporal displacements. Its layering of multiple time periods suggests his experience transcended simple time travel to become something more complex—a perception of time’s fluid, overlapping nature that he struggled to capture with the artistic techniques available to him.
The painting remains a centerpiece of the von Hellenbach collection, challenging our understanding of both art history and time itself. As modern-day Greenbelt continues to evolve, one cannot help but wonder if somewhere among the shoppers and diners, an Austrian gentleman in curiously antiquated clothing might still occasionally appear, sketchbook in hand, attempting to capture the continuing transformation of a place that exists simultaneously in past, present, and future.
Editorial Note for Blog Publication
As our exploration of the von Hellenbach collection continues, this watercolor of Greenbelt provides perhaps the most compelling evidence yet of his extraordinary temporal experiences. While his earlier works documented specific moments from Manila’s future, this painting captures something more profound—the fluid nature of time itself as experienced through a single location’s transformation.
For modern Manila residents familiar with Greenbelt, there’s a particular resonance in seeing the space depicted in this impossible temporal composite. The painting invites us to experience our familiar surroundings as von Hellenbach did—not as fixed in a single moment, but as an ongoing palimpsest where past, present, and future coexist in the same physical space.
In our next post, we’ll explore recently discovered correspondence between von Hellenbach and his Viennese contemporaries, revealing how he attempted to explain his increasingly frequent absences and strange new perspectives on time and reality. These letters provide fascinating insights into how he reconciled his extraordinary experiences with the expectations of 19th-century Viennese society.
Expert Commentary
Art historian Dr. Elena Navarro suggests: “This painting indicates von Hellenbach’s relationship with time itself was changing. Rather than experiencing discrete jumps to specific future periods, he appears to have developed a more fluid perception where multiple timeframes became simultaneously visible. The painting technique he developed to represent this—solid forms for his present, translucent washes for future elements—represents a remarkable innovation born of necessity. How does one paint what exists alongside what will exist?”