Grand Central

Originally from Philadelphia, Colin Campbell Cooper studied under Thomas Eakins at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Upon relocating to New York City in 1902, Cooper was captivated by the city’s urban atmosphere, as demonstrated in the present work. Here Cooper renders the energy of the newly renovated major transit center with his careful eye for atmospheric surroundings, light and movement. The newly-built skyscrapers loom in the distance over Grand Central, while trains enter and exit the station amidst billowing smoke from the surrounding yards. The inclusion of the newly developed electric trains demonstrates Cooper’s interest in New York City as a place of flux and progress in the early twentieth century.

CAPTION:
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY
Colin Campbell Cooper, Grand Central Station, 1909, oil on canvas, 33 x 44 3/4 in. (83.8 x 113.7 cm). Gift of the family of Colin Campbell Cooper, in memory of the artist and his wife, 1941 (41.22)