Chicago's Water Tower looms like a nostalgic monument from an ancient age. Indeed, the limestone and concrete tower, built in 1869 to resemble a Gothic castle from a much more distant time, is one of the very few standing survivors of the great Chicago fire.

In my painting, quaint hansom cabs convey tourists to and fro, and crowds of shoppers and celebrants fill the streets. It's winter in the city; for the visitor, winter is a romantic season in Chicago, softening the city's hard lines with its shimmering light.