Edward Hopper is commonly referred to as the best-known American realist of the inter-war period. He was very private, and generally made solitude and introspection important themes in his paintings.
He was born in Nyack, New York on July 22nd, 1882. His parents persuaded him to study commercial illustration because this seemed to offer a more secure future than being an artist. He first attended a small school called the New York School of Illustrating, and then in 1900 transferred to the New York School of Art. There he worked under two other great artists: William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri (one of the fathers of American Realism - a man whom he later described as “the most influential teacher I had”). Hopper remained at the School of Art for seven years, eventually doing some teaching work himself. He eventually traveled to Europe, twice, claiming that it nothing special to him.
In 1913 Hopper made his first sale at a mixed art show. In 1920 he had his first solo exhibition, but this time none of his paintings sold. By this time he was 37 years old, and wondering if he would ever make it as an artist. Hopper eventually married a woman named Jo Nivison, and his professional fortunes changed. The second time he tried a solo show he sold everything. The next year, he painted what many now believe to be his first "fully mature" picture,
The House by the Railroad.
In 1930 The House by the Railroad entered the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. In the same year, the Whitney Museum bought Hopper's
Early Sunday Morning
, its most expensive purchase up to that time. In 1933 Hopper was given a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. This was followed, in 1950, by a fuller retrospective show at the Whitney.
“To me the most important thing is the sense of going on. You know how beautiful things are when you're traveling.” -- Edward Hopper
He painted many things including hotels, motels, trains and highways, and also liked to paint the public and semi-public places where people gathered: restaurants, theatres, cinemas and offices. But he still stressed the theme of loneliness. Sadly, the rise of Abstract Expressionism kind of left him marooned artistically, because he disapproved of many aspects of this new art. He died in 1967, followed by Jo Hopper ten months later. His true talent and gift of art have only recently been discovered and praised in the years since his death.
Edward Hopper is known for the feeling of isolation which manages to pour straight out of his paintings to the viewer. People in his pictures rarely appear with others, and when they do there seems to be an almost physical barrier between them. Their actions do not really affect each other. In his works Hopper also relied on the use of simple geometric shapes. Doing this Hopper managed to leave the surroundings of his character in an unimposing state. The settings did not make the figures happy, or sad, in the same way that they are painted in absence of these ideals. The coloring within his painting was also kept simple. A large area would often be painted to be a constant color, which would only be imposed upon by light or shadow.
House by the Railroad (1925; The Museum of Modern Art in New York City)
Hotel Lobby (1943; Indianapolis Museum of Art)
Nighthawks (1942; Art Institute of Chicago)
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New York Movie (1939; The Museum of Modern Art in New York City)
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