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Edward Hopper ( July 22 , 1882 – May 15 , 1967 ) was an American Painter and Printmaker best remembered for his eerily realistic depictions of solitude in contemporary American life. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and Printmaker in Etching . LIFE Born in Nyack , New York to a prosperous dry-goods merchant, Hopper studied commercial art and painting in New York City . One of his teachers, artist Robert Henri , encouraged his students to use their art to "make a stir in the world". Henri, an influence on Hopper, motivated students to render realistic depictions of urban life. Henri's students, many of whom developed into important artists, became known as the Ashcan School of American Art . Upon completing his formal education, Hopper made three trips to , July 6 , 2007 . While he worked for several years as a commercial artist, Hopper continued painting. According to Troyen, Hopper's "breakthrough work" was '' The Mansard Roof '', painted in 1923 during Hopper's first summer in Gloucester, MA . "For the 10 years previous, he hadn't sold a single painting," according to Troyen. His former Art School classmate and later wife, Josephine Nivison Hopper , suggested he enter it in the Brooklyn Museum annual Watercolor show, along with some other paintings. ''The Mansard Roof'' was purchased by the museum for its permanent collection, for the sum of $100. In 1925 he produced ''House by the Railroad'', a classic work that marks his artistic maturity. The piece is the first of a series of stark urban and rural scenes that uses sharp lines and large shapes, played upon by unusual lighting to capture the lonely mood of his subjects. He derived his subject matter from the common features of American life — gas stations, motels, the railroad, or an empty street. Hopper continued to paint in his old age, dividing his time between New York City and Truro, Massachusetts . He died in 1967 , in his studio near Washington Square , in New York City . His wife, painter Josephine Nivison, who died 10 months later, bequeathed his work to the Whitney Museum Of American Art . Other significant paintings by Hopper are at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York, The Des Moines Art Center, and the Art Institute Of Chicago . WORKS Themes The best known of Hopper's paintings, '' Nighthawks '' ( 1942 ), shows customers sitting at the counter of an all-night diner. The diner's harsh electric light sets it apart from the gentle night outside. The diners, seated at stools around the counter, appear isolated. Hopper's rural New England scenes, such as ''Gas'' ( 1940 ), are no less meaningful. In terms of subject matter, he can be compared to his contemporary, Norman Rockwell , but while Rockwell exulted in the rich imagery of small-town America, Hopper depicts it in the same sense of forlorn solitude that permeates his portrayal of city life. Here too, Hopper's work exploits vast empty spaces, represented by a lonely gas station astride an empty country road and the sharp contrast between the natural light of the sky, moderated by the lush forest, and glaring artificial light coming from inside the gas station. Selected works Chief works of Edward Hopper (oil on canvas unless otherwise noted): EXHIBITIONS In 1980 the groundbreaking show, "Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist," opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art and visited London, Dusseldorf, and Amsterdam, as well as San Francisco and Chicago. For the first time ever, this show presented Hopper's oil paintings together with drawings on paper, which were his studies for those works. This was the beginning of Hopper's popularity in Europe and his large world-wide reputation. In 2004 , a large selection of Hopper's paintings toured through Europe, visiting Cologne, Germany and Tate Modern in London . The Tate exhibition became the second most popular in the gallery's history, with 420,000 visitors in the three months it was open. In 2007 , an exhibition focusing on the period of Hopper’s greatest achievements—from about 1925 to mid-century— was under way at the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston . The exhibit comprises fifty oil paintings, thirty watercolors, and twelve prints, including the favorites Nighthawks, Chop Suey, and Lighthouse and Buildings, Portland Head, Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, National Gallery of Art, Washington, and The Art Institute of Chicago. INFLUENCE Hopper's influence on the art world and pop culture is undeniable. Homages to ''Nighthawks'' featuring cartoon characters or famous pop culture icons such as James Dean and Marilyn Monroe are often found in poster stores and gift shops. Although this example does not, Hopper often used his wife as the model for female figures. The cable television channel Turner Classic Movies sometimes runs a series of animated clips based on Hopper paintings before they air their films. Hopper's cinematic wide compositions and dramatic use of lights and darks has also made him a favorite among filmmakers. For example, ''House by the Railroad'' is said to have heavily influenced the iconic house in the Alfred Hitchcock film '' Psycho ''. The same painting has also been cited as being an influence on the home in the Terrence Malick film '' Days Of Heaven ''. Noted surrealist horror film director Dario Argento went so far as to recreate the diner and the patrons in ''Nighthawks'' as part of a set for his 1976 film Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso). To establish the lighting of scenes in the 2002 film Road To Perdition , director Sam Mendes drew from the paintings of Hopper as a source of inspiration, particularly ''New York Movie''.1 In 2004 British guitarist John Squire (formerly of The Stone Roses fame) released a Concept Album based on Hopper's work entitled '' Marshall's House ''. Each song on the album inspired by, and sharing its title with, a painting by Hopper. Polish composer Paweł Szymański 's ''Compartment 2, Car 7'' for Violin , Viola , Cello and Vibraphone ( 2003 ) was inspired by Hopper's ''Compartment C, Car 293''. {Link without Title} German Film Director Wim Wenders 's 1997 film '' The End Of Violence '' incorporates a Tableau Vivant of '' Nighthawks '', recreated by actors. Each of the 12 chapters in New Zealander Chris Bell (author) 's 2004 novel ''Liquidambar'' (UKA Press/PABD) interprets one of Hopper's paintings to create a surreal detective story. Hopper's influence even reached the Japanese animation world in the dark cyberpunk thriller Texhnolyze . Hopper's artwork was used as the basis for the surface world in Texhnolyze. SEE ALSO BIBLIOGRAPHY
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