Evening on the Avenue, New York City – Original Oil on Canvas by G. Harvey (J Watson Fine Art)

I saw this painting in a recent issue of Southwest Art magazine, which covers fine art, and not just of cowboys and cattle.

It evokes a holiday feeling of yesteryear on the streets of uptown Manhattan, something we can imagine even if we’ve never experienced. The warm glow reminds us this was near the end of the gaslight era.

My historical novel Bonfire of the Vanderbilts takes place back then. I live in Los Angeles now, but looking at G. Harvey’s painting makes me think about frigid, gunmetal-gray days when reading a freshly-minted paper book by the fire was just the perfect thing.