Liberty in the Making by Retrotimes

In *Liberty in the Making*, an impossible slice of history is brought to life. The Statue of Liberty does not stand in New York, but in the heart of a nineteenth-century European city, surrounded by scaffolding, craftsmen, horse-drawn carts and workshops. It is as if we are witnessing the moment when one of the world’s most famous monuments was still merely a gigantic engineering project under construction.

The warm copper tones of the statue form the radiant centrepiece of the composition. All around, an impressive wooden framework rises up, within which small human figures are at work. On the street, people are sawing, hoisting and conferring, whilst machines belch steam and materials lie ready for further assembly. The contrast in scale makes it clear just how ambitious such a monumental construction project must have felt at the time. The painting combines historical atmosphere with imagination. The architecture, clothing, modes of transport and industrial activity evoke the world of the late nineteenth century, whilst the familiar silhouette of Lady Liberty immediately establishes a connection with America and New York. This creates a fictional historical scene that looks surprisingly authentic.

Liberty in the Making is an ode to craftsmanship, technology and human ambition. A richly detailed work in which there are always new scenes to discover. Particularly suitable for lovers of history, architecture, engineering and industrial nostalgia, but also as a striking focal point in an office, study or modern interior.