Description
Chicago Evening, a cityscape painting, captures the colour, movement and reflected light of the city after dark.
On a cold, wet night in Chicago, a lone figure skirts the edge of a large puddle beneath the elevated railway. Above, a CTA train passes along the tracks. Meanwhile, the city lights illuminate the street below.
The iconic Chicago Theatre glows in the distance. Its light is echoed in the rain-soaked pavement and the deep reflections of the foreground.
The tall composition brings together many of the elements that continually draw Julie Swinsco to the urban landscape. These include dramatic skies, railway architecture, trains, artificial light and the changing surface of water.
The elevated tracks divide the composition horizontally. In contrast, the expansive puddle opens another view of the city below. As a result, buildings, lights and structures become shifting reflected forms.
Painting light and reflection in Chicago
Light is central to Chicago Evening. Julie deliberately emphasised the warm yellow illumination of the train, railway and theatre. She then set these tones against the complementary purples of the evening sky and foreground.
Working slowly in oils on canvas, she built the painting through transparent layers. This allowed the lighter areas beneath to remain luminous.
Consequently, the theatre lights and their reflections in the water have a particular intensity. At the same time, the deeper tones create the atmosphere of a wet city night.
The result is a painting that moves between observation and abstraction. The train, tracks and street establish a recognisable Chicago scene. However, the puddles and reflections soften the architecture into colour, movement and light.
About the painting
- Title: Chicago Evening, a cityscape painting
- Artist: Julie Swinsco
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Frame: Black wooden tray frame
- Size including frame: 63 cm wide × 88 cm high × 6 cm deep
- Authenticity: Original hand-signed painting supplied with a signed Certificate of Authenticity.
