Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time

I caught the Hopper exhibit at the Whitney Museum of Art this past weekend, Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time. I have always been drawn to Edward Hopper’s work. It actually stems from a strange genesis. When I was younger I had a framed poster in my room which was an altered version of Edwards Hopper’s most famous work, Nighthawks. In typical 80’s/90’s poster print fashion the lost souls usually found hunched over at the diner bar in Hopper’s iconic painting had been replaced by 1950’s Hollywood celebrities Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, James Dean etc….too funny, I know. Anyway, as I got older I realized that the print was actually based on an actual work of art. Upon further research I found the original painting and in turn was introduced to Edward Hopper. I became entranced with his modern, realistic images which hinted at impressionism. I found the characters in his work so interesting; melancholy with something deeper always going on beneath the surface.  The colors, the incredible attention to light, the architectural shapes and forms…I quickly became a big fan. Some of Mr. Hopper's most iconic images are on exhibit here along with some amazing work from his contemporaries including John Sloan, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, Charles Demuth, Guy Pène du Bois, Reginald Marsh, Charles Sheeler, Charles Burchfield and Ben Shahn. These mid-century trailblazing artists were the first to use modern subject matter to explore the larger themes of the time. It’s a fascinating look at mid-century American art...not to be missed!

Some highlights from the exhibit:

Edward Hopper, Early Sunday Morning, 1930. Oil on canvas

Edward Hopper 1882-1967, New York Interior, ca. 1921. Oil on canvas

Edward Hopper, Soir Bleu, 1914. Oil on canvas

 Edward Hopper, South Carolina Morning, 1955 Oil on canvas

George Bellows, Dempsey and Firpo, 1924. Oil on canvas

Guy Pène du Bois, Opera Box, 1926. Oil on canvas

Paul Strand, Wall Street, New York, (1915, printed 1976-77). Platinum palladium

Thomas Hart Benton, Poker Night (from “A Streetcar Named Desire”), 1948. Tempera and oil on panel

Reginald Marsh, Ten Cents a Dance, 1933. Egg tempera on panel

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