Edward Hopper 1882-1967 American Artist

Self-portrait of Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper Studied with Robert Henri Often remembered for capturing a dramatic moment Hopper may be thought of as creating drama from the vary starkness of painting -- in many cases, from the stark portrayal of emptiness and loneliness.

Hopper’s Childhood Birthplace is Nyack, New York Father had a dry goods business Went to a local private school, then to Nyack High School Parents enrolled him in a school for illustrators at the age of 17 A year later, 1900, Hopper enrolled in New York School of Art to study with Robert Henri

Hopper’s Difficulty It was difficult for Hopper to share all that Henri’s Realist were doing. They seemed at times too emotional, too dependent on a them, and too lacking in design or form for Hopper. He left Henri’s school in 1906, feeling the need to get away and see more of what other painters were doing. He went to Paris.

Hopper in Paris, France Hopper taught himself to speak French, and he painted on his own while in Paris Hopper most admired Manet and Monet and their Impressionist views. They used palettes of paint with lighter color. Hopper lightened his palette

Back to the United States By 1910, Hopper had made several visits to Paris, but now he came back to the US to stay. Worked in an advertising agency three or four days a week and painted when he could. He sold his first painting at a big show in New York in 1913

The Sailboat The Sailboat was Hopper first painting sold Priced at $300, but sold for $250 It wasn’t until TEN years later that he sold another painting

Living in Massachusetts & Maine Hopper withdrew from the art scene for the next several years. He illustrated and painted, especially during the summers He got his own printing press and did many etchings during this time.

Success finally for Hopper In 1923, the Brooklyn Museum bought one of Hopper’s house painting for $100 The next year, an important art gallery mounted an exhibition on his watercolor. ALL of them sold! Hopper was 42 years old when, finally, he became a recognized artist.

“Chair Car” 1965 Oil on canvas 40 x 50 inches Private Collection

Hopper gets married! In 1924, Hopper married his wife Jo who had also been an art student of Henri’s. The two of them enjoyed the simple life They never had children They lived in New York and summered in Cape Cod Joe became the model of most of the female figures in Hopper’s paintings

“Room in New York” 1932 Oil on canvas Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden

Hopper’s techniques in painting Light that streams through a window is almost a constant in Hopper’s work. Hopper quoted: “What I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of houses.” Hopper spent a lifetime with the question of how light looks -- at different times of the day, on houses, in the countryside, and in the city.

“Gas” 1940 Oil on canvas 26 1/4 x 40 1/4 in. The Museum of Modern Art, NY

Lonely Hopper painted “lonely” houses, empty or nearly empty rooms. Often the viewer is separated from the subject itself -- by the railroad tracks or some other barrier in the foreground. Hopper did not like critics who always had the word “lonely” in their reviews. Hopper was interested in facts, in how things actually were -- at eleven in the morning or at twilight. Hopper painted scenes with no one there as if to as, “How does it look when no one’s there to see it?”

“Sunday” 1926 Oil on canvas 29 x 34 inches The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.

Hopper’s lifetime Hopper lived to be 85 years old He recorded for us the life of a still-young country that was growing at an incredible rate of speed. We appreciate Hopper’s work for its inherent “truth” and for the logic, care, and careful “transcription” that went into it.

“Nighthawks” 1942 Oil on canvas 30 x 60 in. The Art Institute of Chicago

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