Centraal Station, Amsterdam, 2023

8x10 inches with a one inch border

Giclee Print on watercolor paper

This painting depicts Amsterdam’s Centraal Station in the Netherlands. The train station serves as a hub for travelers from all over Europe. The building was designed by P.J.H. Cuypers who was also the architect for the Rijksmuseum. Construction was started in 1881 and completed in 1889. The train station was built on three artificial islands and is supported by thousands of wooden piles. The building itself reflects Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival elements.

The painting was referenced from a photograph I snapped on a morning excursion to Den Hague. The bright morning ;light can be seen shining through the ornate glass ceiling of the station. The painting is an impression characterizing light moving through glass and spaCE.

The asymmetrical composition of the image has the train in the foreground balanced with the white light and warm ceiling. The colors hue is true to the filtered light coming through the window panes. The palette used in the background represents the indifference of this space. In this space, people hurry through their lives and the station is indifferent to their plight. The train however has bolder colors and represents the pride and strength of the Dutch Nationality. I see the train as the medium to deliver people to their destinations and dreams.