Thomas Kinkade speaks about his painting Chicago, Winter at the Water Tower.
"Nestled among the glass and steel giants of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue,
surrounded by some of the world’s premier shopping and dining
establishments, the Water Tower looms like a nostalgic monument from an
ancient age. And, indeed, the limestone and concrete tower, built in 1869
to resemble a Gothic castle from a much more distant time, is one of the
very few standing survivors of the great Chicago fire. The dynamic city has
a past, and the nation’s first American Water Landmark, stands as the most
visible symbol of its historic legacy.
The Water Tower is also a vibrant part of modern Chicago, as my Chicago,
Winter at the Water Tower demonstrates. A winter twilight is deepening into
night, and the brilliant lights of Michigan Avenue bathe the tower’s warm
limestone façade in a golden glow. The light is so radiant, so luminous
that it appears a festival could be taking place at the base of tower.
Indeed, Chicago, Winter at the Water Tower, a tourist center in the
heart of the great city, is a festive place at all times. Quaint hansom
cabs convey tourists to and fro, and crowds of shoppers and celebrants fill
the streets at all hours. It’s winter in the city; for the visitor, winter
is a romantic season in Chicago, softening the city’s hard lines with its
shimmering light."
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