Yes, you can see some landmarks from a long way away. However, this isn't about someone's ability to see something. It's about the possibility of seeing something "up close", ie you are allowed to stand very close to it and look at it. Many important buildings and sites in the world are behind fences and walls and the public are not allowed to get very close. The example you quoted at the beginning is saying that it is possible to be very close to the Statue of Liberty and look at it - that is how you get a "close up view".
The Mona Lisa by da Vinci is a good example. Many years ago, people were allowed to stand extremely close to the painting - it was simply protected behind a single pane of glass but you could stand perhaps half a metre from it. Now, there is a barricade around it, about three metres from it in all directions so now the closest you can get to the painting is three metres away. That is not a "close up view".