ARTIST: J Craig Thorpe (Washington, born 1948)
TITLE: Train - Missouri Locomotive
YEAR: 1994
MEDIUM: oil on heavy paper
CONDITION: Very good. No visible inpaint under UV light.
ART SIZE: 14 x 12 inches / 35 x 30 cm
PAPER SIZE: 18 x 15 inches / 45 x 38 cm
SIGNATURE: lower right
NOTE: This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood Legendary Locomotives of the 50 States Missouri Commemorative Cover postmarked September 1, 1994. Intended as "a modern version of a feudal gateway," St. Louis' Union Station provided an impressive welcome to train travelers entering Missouri's largest city. Designed in Romanesque style, the Station was said to have been inspired by the walled city of Carcasonne, France. One of the most outstanding features of the railroad terminal is its 230-foot clock tower. Four faces, with massive dials measuring 10 feet in diameter, provide a 360-degree view of the time. Reminiscent of a medieval castle, the station's main entrance is flanked by handsome turrets. Perhaps this structure's most awe-inspiring sight is the Grand Hall. Constructed with a 65-foot-high, barrel-vault ceiling suspended over a massive 8,500-square-foot floor, it was originally intended as a haven for travelers who had long layovers between trains. Another impressive component of the station was the trainshed. At the time of its construction, it was the largest in the world, capable of accommodating the trains of 22 railroad companies on its 30 tracks. At 1:45 a.m. on September 2, 1894 -- one day after Union Station's official opening -- a fast mail of the Vandalia line became the first train to enter the terminal. Locomotives like the No. 15, an 0-6-0 switching engine built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1880, shuffled cars moving between the platform tracks and servicing areas. Today this marvelous building has been renovated into a hotel and shopping complex.
PROVENANCE: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
CATEGORY: old antique vintage painting for auction sale online
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BIOGRAPHY:
J. Craig Thorpe (born 1948) is a modern American commercial and landscape artist. Much of his work depicts trains and the rail transport industry in the Western United States and Alaska. He has advocated greater use of rail transport, especially in contrast with automobiles, and has served as a director of the rail advocacy group All Aboard Washington. Thorpe was commissioned to paint an image celebrating the 2006 centennial of King Street Station in Seattle, Washington.