The Art of Edward Hopper

Many regard Edward Hopper (1882-1967) as the greatest American realist painter of the 20th century. He based his compositional style on large geometric forms, flat masses of color, anonymous figures, and the use of architectural elements with strong verticals, horizontals, and diagonals.

But mood was the real subject of Hopper’s art. He conveyed an atmosphere of loneliness, isolation, and eerie solitude. Most of his paintings portrayed the commonplaces of urban life, all with a sparse, stark quality: deserted streets, half-empty theaters, railroad tracks, and boarding houses.

HOUSE BY THE RAILROAD

He first achieved notoriety with his 1925 painting House by the Railroad.

The painting emphasized blunt shapes and a stark interplay of light and shadow. But the atmospheric mood of loneliness and solitude was what attracted so much interest. Alfred Hitchcock, an artist himself, used this painting as his inspiration for Norman Bates’ home in the movie Psycho.

NIGHTHAWKS

Nighthawks is Hopper’s most famous painting. It is also one of the most recognizable paintings of the 20th century. It has inspired many homages and parodies. (See the section entitled Nighthawks in Popular Culture at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks.) The most popular homage may be the Gottfried Helnwein print Boulevard of Broken Dreams.

The following are a few of my favorite Hopper paintings.

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING

NEW YORK MOVIE

MORNING SUN

AUTOMAT