American artist Edward Hopper: biography, creativity, paintings and interesting facts

Each national school of painting can mark several of its best representatives. Just as Russian painting of the twentieth century is impossible without Malevich, so American painting is impossible without Edward Hopper . In his works there are no revolutionary ideas and hot topics, there are no conflicts and complex plots, however, all of them are imbued with a special atmosphere that we are not always able to feel in everyday life. Hopper brought American painting to the world level. His followers were David Lynch and other later artists.

Children's years and youth of the artist

Edward Hopper was born in 1882, in Newcastle. His family was of average wealth, and therefore was able to provide young Edward with proper education. After moving to New York in 1899, he studies at the School of Advertising Artists, and then enters the prestigious Robert Henry School. Parents strongly supported the young artist and tried to develop his talent.

Trip to europe

After leaving school, Edward Hopper worked for only a year at the New York advertising agency and in 1906 went to Europe. This trip was supposed to open to him the already famous artists of other schools, introduce him to Picasso, Manet, Rembrandt, El Greco, Degas and Hals.

Conventionally, all artists who have visited Europe or studied there can be divided into three categories. The former immediately responded to the already existing experience of the great masters and quickly conquered the whole world with their innovative style or genius of work. In this category, of course, Picasso belongs to a greater degree. Others, due to their own nature or other reasons, remained unknown, although very talented artists. Still others (which is more applicable to Russian painters) took their acquired experience home with them and created their best works there.

However, already in this period, the isolation and originality of style in the works of Edward Hopper began to be traced . Unlike all young artists, he is not passionately passionate about any new schools and techniques and treats everything quite calmly. Periodically, he returned to New York, then again went to Paris. Europe did not completely capture him. However, it would be wrong to assume that such an attitude characterizes Hopper as an infantile or a person who is unable to fully appreciate the already existing ingenious artistic heritage of other masters. This is precisely the style of the artist Edward Hopper - in the calm and tranquility of the past, which always conceals a deep meaning.

After europe

As already mentioned, all the works of the masters made a bright but short-term impression on Edward Hopper . He quickly became interested in the technique and style of one or another author, but always returned to his own. He was most admired by the paintings of Manet and Degas. We can say that their styles even resonated. But the works of Picasso, as Hopper himself said, he did not even notice. Such a fact is quite difficult to believe, because Pablo Picasso was perhaps the most famous among artists. However, the fact remains.

After returning to New York, Hopper did not leave America.

Beginning of independent work

The path of Edward Hopper, although it was not filled with dramas and sharply dissonant scandals, was still not easy.

In 1913, the artist forever returns to New York, settles in a house in Washington Square. The beginning of a career seems to be developing quite well - the first painting by Edward Hopper was sold in the same 1913. However, success ends temporarily. Hopper first showed his work at the Armory Show in New York, which was conceived as an exhibition of contemporary art. Here, the style of Edward Hopper played a cruel joke with him - against the background of avant-garde paintings by Picasso, Picabia and other painters, Hopper's paintings looked very modest and even provincial. His plan was not understood by contemporaries. The paintings of the artist Edward Hopper were perceived both by critics and viewers as ordinary realism, not bearing any artistic value. Thus begins the period of “silence”. Hopper is experiencing material difficulties, so he is forced to take the position of illustrator.

Before recognition

Experiencing the hardships of the situation, Edward Hopper takes up private orders for commercial publications. For a while, the artist even leaves the painting and works in the technique of etching - engraving, which is performed mainly on a metal surface. In the 1910s, it was etching that was most adapted to the printing industry. Hopper never served, so he was forced to work with great zeal. In addition, this situation affected health - often the artist fell into severe depression.

Based on this, it can be assumed that Edward Hopper, as a painter, could lose his skills over the years that he did not do painting. But, fortunately, this did not happen.

Return after “silence”

Like any talent, Edward Hopper needed help. And in 1920, the artist was lucky to meet a certain Gertrude Whitney - a very wealthy woman who was very vividly interested in art. She was the daughter of the then-famous millionaire Vanderbilt, so she could afford to be a philanthropist. So, Gertrude Whitney wanted to collect the work of American artists and, of course, help them and provide working conditions.

So, in 1920 she organized his first exhibition for Edward Hopper. Now the public reacted to his work with great interest. Particular attention was paid to such paintings by Edward Hopper, as “The Evening Wind” and “Night Shadows”, as well as some of his etchings.

However, this was not an overwhelming success. Yes, and Hopper's financial situation hardly improved, so he was forced to continue working as an illustrator.

Long awaited recognition

After several years of “silence,” Edward Hopper nevertheless returns to painting. He has a hope that his talent will be appreciated.

In 1923, Hopper marries Josephine Verstil - a young artist. Their family life was quite complicated - Joe was jealous of her husband and even forbade him to draw a naked female nature. However, such details of personal life are not significant for us. It is interesting that it was Joe who advised Hopper to try herself in the watercolor technique. And, we must pay tribute, this style led him to success.

A second exhibition was organized at the Brooklyn Museum. Six works by Edward Hopper were presented here. The museum acquired one of the paintings for its exposition. This is the starting point of a creative upsurge in the artist’s life.

Style

It was during that period when Edward Hopper chose watercolor for himself as the main technique, his own style finally crystallized. Hopper's paintings always show completely simple situations - people in their natural appearance, in ordinary cities. However, behind each such plot there is a subtle psychological picture reflecting deep feelings and states of the soul.

For example, the “Midnight” by artist Edward Hopper at first glance may seem too simple - just a night cafe, a waiter and three visitors. However, this picture has two stories. According to one version, “Midnight” appeared due to impressions of Van Gogh's “Night Cafe in Arles”. And according to another version, the plot was a reflection of the story of E. Hemingway's “Assassins”. Filmed in 1946, the film “Assassins” is rightfully considered the personification of not only the literary source, but also the style of Hopper's painting. It is important to note that Edward Hopper's “Night Hawks” (referred to as “Midnight”) influenced a lot in the style of another artist, David Lynch.

At the same time, Hopper does not give up the etching technique. Although he no longer experienced material difficulties, he continued to create prints. Of course, this genre also influenced the painting of the master. A peculiar combination of techniques has found a place in many of his works.

Confession

Since 1930, Hopper's success has become irreversible. His works are gaining more popularity and are present in the expositions of almost all museums in America. In 1931 alone, about 30 of his paintings were sold. Two years later, his personal exhibition is held at the New York Museum. With the improvement of material condition, Hopper's style is also transformed. He has the opportunity to travel out of town and paint landscapes. So, in addition to the city, the artist begins to paint small houses and nature.

Style

In Hopper's works, the images seem to freeze, stop. All the details that cannot be caught in everyday life, to appreciate their significance, become visible. This is partly justified by the interest of directors in the paintings of Hopper. His paintings can be watched, like changing frames of a film.

Hopper's realism is very closely intertwined with symbolism. One of the tricks is open windows and doors as a reflection of ringing loneliness. To some extent, this symbolism reflected the state of mind of the author. The slightly ajar windows of the rooms, the doors to the cafe, where only one visitor, show one person in the vast world. Many years spent alone in the search for the opportunity to create left an imprint on the artist’s attitude. And in the pictures the human soul is as if open, flaunted, but no one notices it.

For example, see the picture of Edward Hopper “Reclining nude”. The image of a naked girl is as if saturated with apathy and silence. A calm color scheme and the fragility of watercolors emphasize this state of bliss and emptiness. The whole plot is mentally completed - a young woman in an empty room, lost in thought. This is another characteristic feature of Hopper's work - the opportunity to present the situation, the circumstances that led the heroes to just such an environment.

Another important symbol in the master’s paintings is glass. The same “Midnight” show us heroes through the cafe window. This move is very often seen in the works of Hopper. Thus the loneliness of the heroes is also expressed. Failure or inability to start a conversation - this is the glass. It is transparent and even sometimes imperceptible, but still cold and durable. As a kind of barrier that isolates heroes from the whole world. This can be seen in the paintings “Automatic”, “Morning Sun”, “Office in New York”.

Modernity

Until the end of his life, Edward Hopper did not stop working. He created his last picture “Comedians” just two years before his death. The artist participated in all exhibitions of “Whitney Hall” - a museum created by his patroness, Gertrude Whitney. In 2012, 8 short films dedicated to the artist were released. Anyone who is even a little familiar with his work will say that the “Night Hawks” by the artist Edward Hopper is one of his most famous paintings. Reproductions of his works are now in demand around the world, and the originals are rated very highly. The uniqueness of his talent was still able to break through the avant-garde, fashionable in those days, through the critical views of the public, the hardships of unemployment. Edward Hopper's paintings entered the history of painting as very subtle psychological works, endearing with their depth and unobtrusiveness.