Mark Laguë, Saint Paul’s London Night, oil on panel,  24 x 18 in.

Laguë, who is known for his contemporary style, and the energy he infuses into his canvases through his confident brushwork and bold use of color, has always been drawn to urban subject matter “because of the way light rakes across the architecture,” he explains. “Also, I find the way that I organize values lends itself to more geometric, man-made shapes, as opposed to the more organic shapes found in nature…As a predominantly visual artist, I think it’s important to see what I’m painting through an abstract lens, and be less concerned about the ‘what’ I’m painting, and more concerned about the ‘how.’ I’m really trying to push for more and more value consolidation, to give the work an abstract quality, which provides the viewer the opportunity to visually fill in the blanks of the less resolved areas.”

Mark Laguë, Brooklyn Vista, oil on panel, 30 x 40 in.

His application of blocky, geometric forms come to the forefront in works like Brooklyn Vista. Upon close inspection, the buildings start to dissolve into abstraction but Laguë’s more painterly rendering of the river, sky and clouds, and graceful lines of the bridge cables, maintain the painting’s coherence.

Claudio Cionini, Lower Manhattan, acrylic on canvas, 37 x 45 in.

For Saint Paul’s London, Laguë had to overcome the technical challenges that are unique to nocturnes. “The challenge with a night painting like this is how to handle the multiple light sources, without letting it descend into visual chaos,” he explains. “It takes a lot of scrubbing out, and simplifying of shapes to come up with a composition that is simultaneously dramatic and calm.”

Mark Laguë, London Parliament Aerial, oil on panel, 40 x 30 in.

“What draws me to urban subjects is the power of space, the energy the city radiates through its form, color and movement,” says Cionini. “I’m fascinated by perspectives that pull the eye toward the horizon, creating an illusion of almost infinite depth, where things gradually lose their weight and seem light, luminous…I’m also drawn to the meeting point between nature and the city, observing the urban landscape through shifting weather and light. Sunlight casting bold contrasts of warm and cool tones; rainy days that reflect the city on wet asphalt like a mirror; sunsets; and the darkness of night illuminated by artificial light—all these moments deeply move me.”

Claudio Cionini, Florence, acrylic on canvas, 22 x 55 in.

In Florence, Cionini depicts the Tuscan city from the vantage point of Piazzale Michelangelo, one of the best places to admire the panoramic view. Cionini began his journey as a professional painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, and the city holds special meaning for him. “In this scene, I was especially captivated by the warm light of late afternoon falling across the façades,” he says. “The cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio, rising above the red rooftops, emerge as the protagonists with their imposing beauty steeped in history. Looking at this scene, I find a sense of tranquility and harmony, and I hoped to capture and convey it.”

Claudio Cionini, Place de l’Opéra, Paris II, acrylic on canvas, 28 x 55 in.

For the rain-streaked, street-level scene Place de l’Opéra, Paris II, Cionini was struck by the sheer grandeur of the landmark square. “I have always admired the color harmonies of Paris, the blue-gray rooftops and the pale ochre stone from which so many of its buildings are constructed,” says Cionini. “And then the awnings of cafés and restaurants, often red, though here, green…Walking along the city’s boulevards, I fell in love with perspective itself. In this scene, I can almost feel the rain, which creates a melancholy atmosphere that moves me deeply. The reflections seem to form an unreal world, an illusory depth.”