Hopper, the Anti-Rockwell

Chop Suey (1929) -- Picture courtesy Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
Who was Edward Hopper? He was a prolific American painter of the early 20th century, famous for his pictures of urban landscapes which evoked loneliness and destitution to some people. He was instructed by another famous artist, Robert Henri -- a famed member of the Ash Can school of art. Ash Can art was primarily noted for showing highly detailed, realistic urban, frequently grim settings. It was revolutionary at the time; subject matters were things as mundane as gas stations, hamburger stands and people in laundromats.

Hopper's pictures have been described most frequently as "lonely" pictures. His House by the Railroad (1925) was said to be Hitchcock's inspiration for the house in the movie Psycho. Some art critics have described Hopper as the "anti-Rockwell". Both artists depicted scenes of early 20th century America. Norman Rockwell's were wholesome almost to the extreme -- they were depictions of things like children with puppies or kindly grandparents preparing a Thanksgiving turkey. Hopper's material was certainly not the choice for Saturday Evening Post covers. Not a problem -- his eerily beautiful take on the world probably has more staying power than any Rockwell magazine cover.

My own take of Hopper's pictures is something quite different from lonely or destitute -- his pictures usually have beautiful play of light or unusual color that seems almost otherworldly. To me, his pictures including the famous Nighthawks (1942) of patrons in a greasy spoon, are oddly inviting. I want to know more about the situation of the people depicted or the setting of the house. What were his own moods or thoughts connected to the picture?

Hopper lived to age 85 and was a happily married man -- he didn't have the anguished profile of Van Gogh or Toulouse La Trec. His pictures don't so much convey a sadness as much as they convey secrets untold -- and my inquiring mind will have to study his weird juxtapositions of objects and colors to figure out what he was saying. And if I come to no great conclusion? No bother -- I can still enjoy the beautiful renderings of America in the 1920's, 30's and 40's.

To see some of Hopper's best-known pieces, check out selected works on this Wikipedia entry: Hopper: Selected Works

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