short biography of the painter from “Nighthawks”

BIOGRAPHY EDWARD HOPPER – Painter and printmaker, Edward Hopper is one of the main representatives of American realism, his works best known as “Nighthawks” depict scenes from everyday life in the United States.

Short biography of Edward Hopper – Born in 1882 in New York State, Edward Hopper joined the prestigious New York School of Art after graduating from high school. There he discovered the Ash Can School, a pictorial movement representing scenes of urban life from underprivileged backgrounds, through Robert Henri. He travels in Europe and immerses himself in the various techniques and movements in vogue, such as Impressionism in France. He falls in love with the country and settles for a time in Paris. Hopper produced his first paintings there, inspired by the urban landscapes of the Capital. He returned to New York in 1908 where he was hired as an illustrator for advertising campaigns. Quickly tired of the job, he exhibits paintings that he creates in his free time. Around 1915, he was introduced to printmaking thanks to Martin Lewis and painted scenes of American life. In 1920, he presented his first exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club, which met with great success. He married in 1924 with Josephine Verstille Nivison.

Edward Hopper is one of the major figures of the current american realist, with tables like House by the railroad tracks (1925) or again Nighthawks (1942). His particular style, made of simple shapes and rather dark colors, plays on the contrasts between shadow and light. Hopper manages to diversify into his realistic approaches, with scenes of sometimes urban and sometimes rural landscapes. The characters he paints often inspire a feeling of loneliness and exclusion. His oils on canvas are for the most part the reflection of a country undergoing economic and social change. In 1945, Edward Hopper entered the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He received multiple awards and honors, including the title of Doctor of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1955. He died in 1967, at the age of 84.

Completed in 1942, Nighthawks is an 84.1 x 152.4 cm oil on canvas. It represents four people in a having dinner (typical American restaurant) after dark. The restaurant’s large window overlooks a deserted street in the city center and offers the viewer an overview. With the exception of an interior door, the figures seem prisoners of the frame, as if they could no longer leave the premises of the restaurant. It is also difficult to perceive any emotion from them. One of the customers turns his back to the viewer, while the couple lower their heads slightly, in their thoughts. Edward Hopper’s wife, Josephine, is said to have served as a role model for the client. The restaurant employee, talking to the couple while continuing his work, is the one who seems the most expressive. The only source of light comes from inside the diner and provides a contrast between shadow and light. Finally, we can distinguish on the counter several elements characteristic of American restaurants: salt and pepper shakers, napkin dispensers, as well as two percolators in the background. The title given by Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, can be translated into French as “Noctambules” or “Les rôdeurs de la nuit”. This characteristic painting of American realism has inspired many artists, whether for films or novels. The decor has also been readapted in various works of fiction: series, video games, etc. The canvas is now on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.

A predominance of scenes from everyday life from the first half of the 20th century

Edward Hopper is considered one of the main representatives of American realism in the first half of the 20th century. Influenced by the Ash Can School and Impressionism, his most famous paintings are scenes from everyday life. However, he began by painting urban landscapes in Paris, a city he fell in love with. In 1914 he painted Blue evening, a strange canvas in which a clownish character attracts attention in a Parisian café. Hopper often represents public places such as cafes or cinemas, as in Automat (1927) or New York Movie (1939). He has painted several paintings on the professional life of Americans, mainly in company offices: Office at night (1940) and Office in a small city (1953). Edward Hopper recedes his characters, often expressionless and filled with loneliness, as if they were crushed by the urban setting that surrounds them. This is particularly the case in Summer evening (1947), where the sensation is amplified by the play of light and shadow. Or in Gas (1940), a gas station in front of an American motel with a very discreet figure behind the pumps. Finally, Hopper is known to represent scenes of much more intimate life, where the viewer invites himself into the homes of strangers. This is the case in Room in New York (1932) or in Western Motel (1957). The angles of view chosen by the artist allow him to change our perception of the scene, making it either oppressive with characters locked in, or conversely much warmer, as for Cape Cod Morning (1950) and Morning sun (1952).

Landscapes painted by Edward Hopper

Although recognized for his scenes of everyday life, Edward Hopper has also produced a large number of landscapes. Passionate about architecture and constructions of all kinds, it is with his House by the railroad tracks (1925) that he began to acquire his reputation with the public. He also has an attraction for the marine world, as evidenced by paintings such as The Long Leg (1930), Ground Swell (1939) and Rooms by the Sea (1951). Lighthouses are also a recurring element in Hopper’s seaside landscapes, as in Lighthouse Hill (1927) or The Lighthouse at Two Lights (1929), just like the railway with Railroad Train. He nevertheless remains more attached to urban landscapes, as in Early Sunday Morning (1930). In each of his works, we find the attention to detail and the almost photographic staging, characteristic of Edward Hopper’s style.

July 22, 1882: Birth of Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper was born on July 22, 1882 in the village of Nyack, located in Rockland County (New York State). He is the son of Garret Henry Hopper and Elizabeth Griffiths Smith, owners of a haberdashery in Nyack. He has an older sister, Marion Louise. Young Edward was brought up according to the precepts of the Gospel, specifically those of Baptism, a doctrine derived from Anglicanism. He completed a smooth schooling in his hometown, before moving to New York and starting his art studies.

May 15, 1967: Death of Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper died on May 15, 1967 in New York, in his studio in Greenwich Village. He leaves no offspring behind him. A large part of his prints and paintings are bequeathed to the Whitney Museum of American Art by his wife Josephine. The latter died the following year, March 6, 1968. Other works by Hopper can be found at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York, the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His body lies in Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Nyack, alongside that of his wife.