You don’t have to be as big a fan of architecture as I am to love the elegance of the Chrysler Building at the corner of 42^nd Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City. This iconic Art Deco tower was constructed in the late 1920s and completed in 1930. It was designed by architect William Van Alen.

At the time it was built, it was the world’s tallest building. There was rampant competition in those days for the “world’s tallest” title. Interestingly, the spire was added near the end of the construction period and was clandestinely hidden inside the building’s 67-story infrastructure so as not to “tip-off” other developers as to its ultimate height of 1,046 feet. To this day, it is the tallest brick building with a steel framework in the world.

I took my daughter on a trip several years ago to celebrate her graduation from college. As we were out and about in midtown, we turned a corner, and both found ourselves in awe of this magnificent structure. In going through some old pictures recently, I discovered some photos I shot that day, and they became the reference pieces for this studio painting. I like the way the perspective lines of the buildings on the left direct your eye toward the Chrysler Building in the distance.

As with much of my recent work, this one was done in alla prima (wet-into-wet) style, using a limited palette of colors, with no black paint. I also painted the trees using no green paint but relying on other colors to produce the greenish hues. Tools included brushes and palette knives, with a fairly thick application of paint, giving this piece a heavy texture.

This original oil on birch painting of the Chrysler Building in New York City measures 30” tall by 24” wide. It sells in an espresso-stained wood box frame. Free shipping in the U.S.