Edward Hopper (1882-1967)
Maybe I am not very human – what I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of a house.
1925–1930
https://whitney.org/collection/works/6068
Edward Hopper’s main inspiration revolved around a rather unusual subject: empty scenes of American life isolating only the few figures he chose to represent. While he is considered a realist painter, he took the definition of realism to a new level, showing that it does not always have to be a direct copy of what we see, but rather an interpretation of reality.
Hopper represented his view of modern life in his paintings, depicting haunting loneliness in everyday situations. He addressed feelings of isolation and alienation, often painting city scenes with very few human subjects. Even in his work featuring multiple people, there is a distinct feeling of alienation within each individual.
Right: Nighthawks, 1942 https://www.edwardhopper.net/nighthawks.jsp
It’s almost as if Hopper was trying to visually say that we are somehow always alone. And one could assume that he was reflecting his own feelings of life in his work, as he stated that “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.”
It is no surprise that Hopper’s work stands out from the crowd. His use of strong lighting, boldly defined lines and cropped points of view make his work immediately recognizable. His hauntingly isolated depictions of American life were a topic never approached by any other artists.
Right: Morning Sun, 1952 https://news.artnet.com/art-world/edward-hopper-morning-sun-jo-1895972
Hopper found the most commercial success in the 1930s, both selling his work and displaying it at various exhibits. Despite this, in the latter part of his career, he began to lose traction as new artistic movements, started to take the spotlight. He never completely lost fame, though, as his work still resonated with the public. Despite the rising popularity of Abstract Expressionism, Hopper remained true to himself. He did not have a desire to change his vision of the world nor the way in which he represented it.
One reply on “Post 5 – Contemporary and Post Modernism”
Anais,
Nice final post on Hopper! You really capture the mood of his work in what you write. His work obviously resonates with you. Also I’ve corrected the final quiz and you scored another 47/50 which is an A+. Great work this term and have a good holiday break.
Jeff