Susan Powell Fine Art, Sunlight in Soho, oil, 18 x 24", by Vincent Giarrano. 

Contemporary artist Vincent Giarrano, represented by Susan Powell Fine Art,  finds the energy and edge of stylish, urban, modern-day women and life in New York City to be fascinating. “Once you’ve seen Giarrano’s paintings, you can’t walk down a street in SoHo without looking closely at the things you might have missed,” points out gallery owner Susan Powell. “His street scenes and interior scenes lead us to unique stories and moments that we’ve shared. His paintings are mainly about capturing the mood—[they] have a freshness and are never labored.”

Principle Gallery, San Francisco Green Streetcar, oil on panel, 24 x 30", by Mark Laguë; Lincoln Glenn Gallery, Hudson Street, ca. 1932, oil on canvas, 30 x 40", by Guy C. Wiggins (1883-1962).  

Taylor Chauncey, assistant director at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, notes that “the cityscape genre remains at the forefront of the art market. It’s a genre that’s consistently evolving with various artists pushing the limits and showcasing work that represents the action of a city, often unnoticed streets or the charm of a simple streetcar. Mark Laguë exemplifies the subject beautifully along with an impressive grasp of color, texture and depth.”

Blue Rain Gallery, Phnom Penh, acrylic and mixed media on panel, 48 x 72", by Erin Currier.

In a more historic cityscape view, we see the work of masters of the genre like Guy C. Wiggins (1883-1962). Born in Brooklyn, Wiggins was known for his winter scenes of New York and the New England area, often capturing the buildings of Manhattan. His piece Hudson Street, circa 1932, was a highlight in a past Lincoln Glenn Gallery exhibition. In a preview of the show, the editor of American Fine Art Magazine and American Art Collector, Sarah Gianelli, writes, “When one thinks of New York City in winter it is hard to imagine the bustling scenery of the metropolis through any other painter’s eye that that of Wiggins. His wind-swept images of the streets of Manhattan, of its swaying bridges and its hustling residents trying to survive the tunnels of wind between skyscrapers, cathedrals and great business establishments, have become an icon of American artistic expression.”

Blue Rain Gallery, At the Crosswalk, oil on panel, 48 x 36", by Matthew Sievers.

Nathan Bennett, a skilled patina artist, captures the enchanting ambiance of a city illuminated at dusk by employing fire and chemicals on a bronze plate. Describing his technique as the “application of different metals through the use of fire and various chemicals to generate colors on bronze,” Bennett masterfully blends these elements. The amalgamation of fire, chemicals and bronze breathes life into the cityscape, casting it in a radiant and warm glow.

David Milton, Cafe 50’s, watercolor and pastel on Arches, 40 x 32" (framed); Arcadia Contemporary, Haze and Reflections, oil on panel, 36 x 24", by Sung Eun Kim.

Matthew Sievers wields a palette knife with finesse in his painting At the Crosswalk, orchestrating sweeping strokes of vibrant color and emotion across the canvas. The liberal application of paint with the palette knife enables Sievers to juxtapose soft, nuanced passages with bold and expressive impasto textures. His fascination lies in the interplay of light on diverse surfaces, generating visual intrigue and altering the viewer’s experience from day to night. Infused with a preference for luminous hues, Sievers’ works exude an underlying sense of joyousness that captivates collectors.

Blue Rain Gallery, Constant, patinas on bronze, 24 x 32" by Nathan Bennett

Much of David Milton’s art, including his cityscape scenes, embraces the ancient Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi—the acceptance of beauty that reveals the passage of time, texture, patina and even rust. “Many of the subjects I paint honor the everyday wear on surfaces such as vintage neon signs, gas pumps and collectables,” the artist explains. “The light patterns are of special interest and I strive to find the most dramatic and unique versions. Finding, painting and documenting 20th-century images has been a quest for more than fifty years. My intention is for each subject to tell a story, and [my medium] of watercolor oil or pastel capture the essence.”

Arcadia Contemporary, Remaining Lights, oil on panel, 60 x 40", by Sung Eun Kim. 

Specializing in contemporary works, New York-based gallery Arcadia Contemporary also represents artists that focus on urban scenes. Pictured here are two works by Sung Eun Kim, whose artistic mission is to redefine perceptions of the city, “transcending the mundane and cultivating an appreciation for the inherent beauty that lies within,” he says. “Light serves as the primary wellspring of my creative inspiration. As an aspiring impressionist, I view the challenge of capturing light and its portrayal of visual subjects as paramount to my expression as a cityscape painter. The dynamic nature of light, from the break of dawn to the veil of night, from clear skies to overcast, and from natural to artificial sources, imbues each scene with a diverse character that I interpret as a storyteller.”

Dan Graziano, 312 Metro, oil on panel, 10 x 8"

The artist continues, “…Despite a city’s concrete confines, characterized by noise and unpleasant odors, it is our perspective that has the power to transform and illuminate the value of existence and the essence of our surroundings. Beauty, I believe, is omnipresent, awaiting discovery in every circumstance, contingent upon the beholder’s perception—the foggy atmosphere down the street against the beautiful strong contrast made with shadows and reflections on the ground.” 

David Milton, French Dipped, watercolor and pastel on Arches, 42 x 32" (framed) 

Artist Dan Graziano was driving one afternoon in West Los Angeles and took a photo while stopped at a red light that later became his piece 312 Metro. “What initially attracted me to the scene was the bright orange of the bus and the multitude of shapes in the city street bathed in the bright Southern California afternoon sun,” explains Graziano. “The challenge was to paint the bus as the focal point and simplify the multitude of buildings, signs and other things around it while reinforcing the actual context of a typical Los Angeles city street. It’s one of my favorite paintings and one I always bring with me when teaching a painting workshop. In my paintings I try capture the hidden beauty, dramatic light, shadow, color and perspective found in the unexpected places and fleeting moments of everyday life.” —