The idea was to depict the archipelago astride a globe, with clouds above and below.

CNN: WHY VISIT THIS YEAR?

On a clear day you can see 80 miles and five states and on an overcast one you are floating in the clouds, detached from the world below.

BBC: At 80, the Empire State Building strikes back

The day was gray and moist, with low clouds weighing on the rooftops and a thin fog floating below.

NEWYORKER: Waiting

Back home, they had to deal with an utterly flat landscape laced by rivers and canals much of it below sea level, reclaimed by dikes forever loomed over by dark gray clouds, damp mists, and rain or snow.

WSJ: de Young Museum: More Than Just the Girl