“Horne’s pastel of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, commissioned by Utah Chamber artists, reflects her long-standing interest in architectural spaces shaped by light, rhythm, and communal experience. The work captures both the visual presence and cultural resonance of one of Utah’s most beloved landmarks, offering a fitting artistic companion to tonight’s performance.”
The time-frame for delivery was very compressed. She so appreciated the interest and the trust of the commissioners, that she decided to drop everything and go for it!
Karen Horne has painted many venues in Salt Lake City, (including Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theatre, Walker Center, City/County Building, Library Square, Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake Temple, Peery Hotel, Crane building, Rose Wagner Theatre, Trax, Rio Grande Depot, Union Station, Mrs. Backers Pastry Shop, Tower Theatre, Town Club). but SO FAR, NOT THIS CATHEDRAL. She was starting from scratch – no existing photo references of her own. As she aims to work from her own photos and experience, that meant some scouting!.
Karen visited the site multiple times to scout out angles of the view. She visited the Cathedral at sundown, dusk, late evening, sunrise. and in clear and stormy weather. She learned a lot about the spotlights, how the light falls, and the exceptionally intricate architecture.
She chose a dusk view, as it had more color, and an angle view to show the cathedrals thrust heavenward. And apparently, Barlow Bradford was thrilled with it.
The Utah Chamber Artists presented it final concerts of its regular series on April 27th and 28th, and featured the finished painting on the beautifully designed program.
