Evening on the Avenue by Thomas Kinkade ~ Published July, 2007 - The very word “avenue” awakens memories… of the lively, flourishing main streets of turn-of-the-century America. Families strolled America’s avenues then, to conduct their business and to carry on their social life. Churches and
brightly lit shops adorned the thoroughfares; pedestrians shared the busy streets with horseless carriages and horse-drawn trolleys and all felt safe.

Evening on the Avenue, inspired by a still-flourishing main street in Charleston, South Carolina, is a nostalgic look back to a time when streets like this were the life-blood of the nation and not mere curiosities.

A clearing dusk paints the scene with a silvery softness as gas lamps and windows blaze gold and amber; rainwashed pavement adds a festive glow.

The painting has a symbolic message: the peacefulness and serenity of traditional communities are still the heart of any nation. - Thomas Kinkade

Key Points

1. Charleston is known as the Holy city due to its density of church steeples in the skyline.

2. When Thom began painting this work, he was reading “Gone with the Wind.”

3. Thom has placed a total of twelve N's in Evening on the Avenue, as an ongoing tribute to his wife,Nanette.

4. Evening on the Avenue is a 1910 - 1920 era painting.

5. This painting is meant to be a charming, energized view of city life in the early 1900s.

6. The 300-year-old streets of Charleston are narrow and rough, reminders of the time when travel was by foot, horse or ship.

7. A carriage ride in Charleston will take you through its historic neighborhoods and almost everyone enjoys the clippity clop on the pavement as the horse drawn carriage ambles slowly down Charleston's charming and historic Avenues. The horse-drawn carriage tours of historic downtown Charleston highlight the most famous monuments, public buildings, and historic homes.

8. Originally settled by the British in the year 1670, Charleston has remained for decades “The Cradle of Southern History and Charm.”