His style was so synonymous with a specific mood that the term “Hopperesque” was coined to refer to a solitary and lonely tone. Edward Hopper’s artwork has had a huge impact on the creative world, having inspired numerous filmmakers, photographers, writers, and musicians. Towards the end of his life, he was only producing around two oil paintings per year. There are fewer Edward Hopper paintings in existence than one might think, as he preferred to work methodically and slowly, trying to capture each detail perfectly. His ability to convey a message through posing his characters in certain ways and his use of specific colors were all instrumental factors in what made paintings by Hopper so renowned.Ī photograph of Edward Hopper in 1937 Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Edward Hopper’s artwork is unique in its ability to express empty spaces that give one a glimpse into a time when America was in the grips of the Great Depression. Who is Edward Hopper? It has been said that very rarely has an artist been able to portray the feeling of despair and loneliness of life in the city like he has. 2.2 What Were Edward Hopper Paintings About?.Typically, his urban settings feature transient hubs, such as motels, train stations and cafes, places far from home and a sense of security. More importantly, a Hopper painting demands something from us – a story or an interpretation. In their solitude and social isolation, Hopper’s figures offer a kinship to the viewer, a recognition of the fleeting moments of loneliness that exist in all of us – whether we’re in the midst of a pandemic, economic recession or just an ordinary day. Why so many feel connected to his work, decades onĭecades later, how does his work continue to reverberate? His canvasses certainly referred to concerns from his own era, with the gloomy cloud of war hanging over the US in the 1940s and the rapid rise of urbanisation that cultivated anomie in cities. By the time of his death in 1967, he was regarded as a major artist in America. Hopper’s prominence as an artist took hold, leading to exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and participation at the 1952 Venice Biennale. The two shared a strong, tumultuous relationship and often ventured to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the seaside landscapes of which became a big part of his later paintings. She became his muse, posing for his paintings and encouraging his artistic practice. His marriage to Josephine Verstille Nivison in 1924 was a turning point in his life.
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While his contemporaries may have taken up the free-spirited bohemian lifestyle, he preferred to explore the city and contemplate on its narrow streets and architectural elements, as seen in his work. Yet Hopper clung to his realist style, and claimed not to remember Picasso’s name.
His time in Paris coincided with the rise of Cubism and Fauvism, spearheaded by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Hopper was drawn to their depictions of daily life. Looking to escape, he took trips to Europe and spent time in Paris, where he was influenced by Impressionist painters Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. He began working at an advertising agency in 1905, but felt deeply unsatisfied with his work. Showing artistic promise at a young age, his parents fostered his skills, but pushed him towards commercial illustration rather than fine art. Hopper's lifeīorn in 1882 in the shipbuilding town of Nyack, New York, he grew up in a middle-class family. They are, in fact, brilliant psychological portraits that speak to the artist’s own experience and outlook on life. These painterly expressions of loneliness may indeed mirror what so many of us feel inside as of late, but Hopper’s works are more than just their melancholic moods. We are all edward hopper paintings now /gpcmSiavkD- Michael Tisserand March 16, 2020