Flatiron Building

Flatiron Building (2016)

Dating back to 1902, the Flatiron Building is one of the first skyscrapers constructed in New York and the only building in the city with a neighborhood named after it (to my best of my knowledge). It has always fascinated me that one of New York’s first skyscrapers was built in such a unique triangular shape. In fact, early critics of the building believed it would topple over due to its height and unusual form. While the Flatiron Building has never been New York’s tallest, it has always been and remains one of the city’s most beloved structures.

I had been searching for a worthy Flatiron Building scene to paint for a while, despite living within close proximity to the area. It was challenging to locate the perfect view for the painting, but I am quite pleased with the final result.

This is a scene from March 12, 2016 at around 3pm in the afternoon. We were in the area to grab a bite from the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. My wife can be seen in the background with the tan/orange purse waiting for me to complete my scouting activities. A couple can be seen crossing the street on the left and a man riding a city bike on the right, adding some interesting symmetry with each other and also with the space between the buildings. Construction scaffolding can be seen to the right of the painting, which while temporary has become an architectural feature characteristic to the city. When I visited the location again recently in December 2016, the scaffolding was still present, which both delighted me with seeing the same scene as the painting preserved and shocked me that construction was still taking place at the location.