Whitney Museum Seventh Floor Terrace

Whitney Museum Seventh Floor Terrace (2016)

This is one of my favorite New York City views; A relatively new view at the current site of the Whitney Museum which opened to the public in 2015, marking this location the fourth home of the museum. The iconic New York water towers along with One World Trade Center rising in the distance make this view an instant classic. As a member of the Whitney Museum, I frequently find myself at this very spot. A typical weekend day for me would include a stroll down the Highline followed by an afternoon at the Whitney.

The setting of the painting is a brisk, sunny day in February; cold enough for a winter jacket, yet warm enough to wear it unzipped as demonstrated by the male subject in the piece. The yellow facade of the building across from the museum always seems bright and cheerful to me, yet it is totally unnoticeable from street level. Perhaps it reminds me a bit of my childhood home, which was adorned in a similar shade of yellow.

With multiple terraces and a rooftop patio, you’ll quite often see as many people outside the museum enjoying the city views as inside browsing the art. While some may contest the striking views distract from the art inside, stepping outside to travel across the floors of the museum, provides an opportunity to refresh and mentally prepare for the next floor.