Art Notes

On a trip to New York City in 2006, Thomas Kinkade and his family got the chance to boat along the East River. His memories of this excursion were captured on canvas, and he created the iconic painting, The Spirit of New York. In 2023, Thomas Kinkade Studios paid tribute to our founder, Thomas Kinkade, as we expanded on his view of the New York skyline high over the East River.

As the moonlight shines brightly over New York City, the skyline twinkles with thousands of little bright lights that mimic the pulsing rhythm of this dynamic city. The traffic on the water, bridges, and shoreline reflect that the heart of this city never stops beating. If one stands still long enough, you may just hear the honk of a car horn, someone yell “taxi” or the horn from the tugboat as it passes underneath the Manhattan Bridge. In the distance, the Statue of Liberty stands guard and holds the torch of freedom high in the night sky. Join Thomas Kinkade Studios and celebrate the magic of this wonderful city in Moonlight over Manhattan.

Key Points

• Moonlight Over Manhattan captures the New York skyline in gorgeous detail at night. This scene is an expanded view of Thomas Kinkade’s 2007 best-selling painting The Spirit of New York, which he created after a day-trip boating on the East River.
• Moonlight Over Manhattan features both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, whereas The Spirit of New York showcases the Brooklyn Bridge from the viewpoint of a boat on the East River.
• The East River flows through all five boroughs of New York City, and the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and 59^th Street Bridge were built to connect the boroughs.
• This viewpoint shows One World Trade Center and the iconic buildings of the Financial District along with Pier 17 and Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
• On the left side of the painting, you can see the Dumbo neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn.