Even I can tell how fake this nighttime scene is of Times Square. I have to wonder what the artist wast thinking when they put the moon on top of the Paramount Building. My first thought was of Ghostbusters. Somethin' strange is surely going on because back down on the street we're about to have some serious car crashes and some people needing to run for their lives. Oh yes, that is a haunted sky surrounding the jello colored scene. The Paramount building has most assuredly been slimed.
Click on either image to see it larger.
Here is my favorite image from the book Postcards of the Night: Views of American Cities which started my search for nighttime postcards. I can only wish to find a card like this. It's stunning and goes way beyond a normal postcard. Sad to think that artists that did work such as this are now nameless. The postcard above...no problem not knowing the "artist," but the one below is in another realm.
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You're right - it is most excellent. Will Eisner said that he used rain as a key element in his work in order to involve the viewer in the image - This one WORKS. It's all about atmosphere. The composition draws you in. The neon light missing from the 'O' in the name of the hotel, the light behind cars and building in the middle ground. You feel as if you are right there.
ReplyDeleteI like them both in the same way I like both comic books and beautiful oil paintings. That second one is beyond beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh I love the first one too because it is so badly done, so obviously a slap dash job by some poor soul just trying to get their work done and move on to the next card. Your suggestion of comic books vs. oil paintings hit the nail on the head. I wish the second one were available as a large print. The only information given in the book about the card is that it dates from 1920. No publishing information is given.
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