American artist Edward Hopper: biography, creativity, paintings and interesting facts. Edward Hopper: Night Owl Diner Family and Confession

The American artist Edward Hopper is considered by some as an urbanist, by others as a representative of magical realism, and by some as a forerunner of pop art. Fans of Hopper's work enthusiastically call him “a dreamer without illusions” and “a poet of empty spaces.” Hopper’s dramatic painting entitled “Night Owls” unites all opinions. It is as recognizable as Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", Edvard Munch's "The Scream" or Coolidge's "Dogs Playing Poker". The incredible popularity of this work has placed him among the icons of pop culture.

(Edward Hopper, 1882-1967) was a prominent representative of American genre painting of the 20th century. And, although it was during this period that new trends in art were emerging, he remained indifferent to the avant-garde changes and experiments of his colleagues. Contemporaries who kept up with fashion were fond of cubism, surrealism and abstractionism, and considered Hopper's painting boring and conservative. Edward suffered, but did not betray his ideals: “ How can they not understand: the originality of an artist is not ingenuity and not a method, especially not a fashionable method, it is the quintessence of personality ».

And Edward Hopper was a very complex person. And very closed. Moreover, to such an extent that after his death, almost the only source of information about his life and character turned out to be his wife’s diary. In one interview she reported:

One day, a New Yorker magazine employee was trying to write an essay about Edward's life. And I couldn't. There was no material. Nothing to write home about. Only I could write his real biography. And it would be pure Dostoevsky« .

He was like this from childhood, although the boy grew up in a good family of a haberdashery store owner in the town of Nyack (New York State). The family was no stranger to art: on weekends, father, mother and children sometimes came to New York to visit art exhibitions or go to the theater. The boy secretly wrote down his impressions in a thick notebook. A lot of things were hidden there from adults. In particular, his experiences and grievances when, at the age of 12, he suddenly grew 30 cm over the summer and began to look terribly awkward and lanky. His classmates mocked and teased him about this at every turn. Perhaps, from this unfortunate incident, Edward Hopper forever retained his painful shyness, isolation and silence. His wife wrote in her diary: “ Saying anything to Ed is like throwing a stone into a bottomless well. You won't hear a splash «.

Naturally, this was reflected in the style of his paintings. Hopper loved to paint lifeless interiors and deserted landscapes: railway dead ends leading to nowhere, deserted cafes filled with loneliness. Window openings were a constant leitmotif of his work. The artist seemed to be looking for a way out of his closed world. Or, perhaps, he secretly opened the entrance to himself: the sunlight entering through the windows into the rooms slightly warmed the cold, ascetic paintings of Hopper. We can say that against the backdrop of his gloomy landscapes and interiors, the sun's rays on his canvases exactly embody the metaphor " a ray of light in a dark kingdom «.

But mostly, Hopper depicted loneliness in his paintings. Hopper even has lonely sunsets, streets and houses. The couples depicted on his canvases look no less lonely, especially couples. Mutual dissatisfaction and alienation between men and women is a recurring theme in Edward Hopper.

The theme had a completely vital basis: in the fortieth year of his life, Hopper married his peer Josephine Nivison, whom he knew from New York art school. They moved in the same circles, were connected by the same interests, and had similar views on many things. But their family life was filled with all sorts of discord and scandals, sometimes leading to fights. According to the wife's diary, the rude husband was to blame for everything. At the same time, according to the recollections of acquaintances, it is clear that Jo herself was far from the ideal keeper of the family hearth. For example, when artist friends once asked her: “ What is Edward's favorite dish??”, she said arrogantly: “ Don't you think that in our circle there is too much delicious food and too little good painting? Our favorite dish is a friendly can of baked beans.«.

Hopper's paintings of couples clearly depict the tragedy of his relationship with his wife. They lived suffering and tormenting each other, and at the same time, they were inseparable. They were united by a love of French poetry, painting, theater and cinema - this was enough for them to stay together. Josephine was even the muse and main model for Edward's paintings painted after 1923. In the couple of late-night diner patrons depicted in his painting “Night Owls,” the author once again clearly depicted himself and his wife, the alienation of the man and woman sitting next to them is so obvious.

"Night Owls" (Nighthawks), 1942, Edward Hopper

By coincidence, it was the picture "Night Owls" has become a cult work of art in the United States. (In the original it is called “ Nighthawks", which can also be translated as " Owls"). Edward Hopper painted Nighthawks in 1942, just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The event caused a feeling of oppression and anxiety throughout America. This explained the gloomy, scattered atmosphere of Hopper’s canvas, where the diner’s visitors are lonely and thoughtful, the deserted street is illuminated by the dim light of the shop window, and a lifeless house serves as the backdrop. However, the author denied that he wanted to express some kind of depression. In his words, he " may have unconsciously depicted loneliness in a big city ».

In any case, Hopper's midnight cafe is critically different from the urban cafes his colleagues portrayed. Usually, these establishments always and everywhere carried a flair of romance and love. Vincent Van Gogh, depicting a night cafe in Arles, did not use black paint at all; people were sitting on an open terrace, and the sky, like a field of flowers, was strewn with stars.

"Cafe Terrace at Night", Arles, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh

Is it possible to compare his motley palette with the coolness and stinginess of Hopper’s colors? And yet, looking at the painting “Night Owls,” it becomes clear that behind the emphasized laconicism of Hopper’s writing lies an abyss of expressiveness. His silent characters, immersed in their own thoughts, seem to be participating in a drama on a stage bathed in deathly fluorescent light. The geometry of parallel lines, the uniform rhythm of the lifeless windows of the neighboring building, echoed by the seats along the bar counter, the contrast of massive stone walls and transparent fragile glass, behind which the figures of four people hid in an island of light, have a hypnotic effect on the viewer... It seems that the author deliberately locked them here, hiding from the indifferent darkness of the street - if you look closely, you will notice that there is not a single visible exit from the room.

Painting "Night Owls" had a great influence on American culture. Postmodernists have used the painting for countless parody remakes based on literature, cinema and painting.

Allusions and parodies to this work by Edward Hopper are found in many paintings, films, books and songs. Tom Waits named one of his albums " Nighthawks at the Diner» — « Night owls at the diner" This painting is one of director David Lynch's favorite works. It also influenced the appearance of the city in Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner.

Inspired by Night Owls, Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein made a famous remake called " Boulevard of Broken Dreams " Instead of faceless characters, he placed 4 celebrities in the cosmic void of loneliness - Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elvis Presley and James Dean. Thus, hinting at how meaningless their life and talent prematurely sank into emptiness: Presley died as a result of long-term use and abuse of alcohol and drugs; Marilyn died from an overdose of antidepressants; Bogart's death was also a result of alcohol abuse, and James Dean died in a tragic car accident.

Other authors of parody remakes have used iconic US works from various fields of art. First of all, the most popular - American cinema with its famous characters, comic book superheroes and stories known throughout the world. The gloomy style of black and white film noir ( film noir ).

To make sure, watch the “cut” of frames from noir films of the 40s, which change to the song “ Boulevard of Broken Dreams " (In 2005, members of the Punk band Green Day said that their second single received its title and corresponding posters under the direct influence of Hopper's painting).

Also ironically, remakes played on many other Hollywood fetishes.

star Wars
star Wars
The Simpsons
Family Guy
based on the cult comic book The Adventures of Tintin

Superman and Batman
Zombie
remake of the film “The Dead Bride”, directed by Tim Burton

Various popular shows and TV series have not escaped the fate of becoming parody remakes of Hopper’s paintings.

parody poster of the comedy television series "Seinfeld" (1989-1998)
parody poster on the theme of the crime series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”

Of course, the parodies played up the enclosed space of the cafe, emphasized by the author in his painting.

And the cold tones of the picture and the asceticism of the palette evoked associations with outer space among many jokers.

All sorts of American urban landscape clichés were also in use.

Well, where it’s a street at night and there are no cops nearby, it’s quite logical that the street graffiti hooligan Banksy might appear, albeit throwing plastic chairs into the window of a cafe.

One could also cite hundreds of examples of ironic remakes of Edward Hopper's paintings, made on all sorts of topics. This is one of the most common Internet memes. And such fertility only confirms that true masterpieces are not subject to time.

(1967-05-15 ) (84 years old) A place of death: Origin: Nationality:

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Edward Hopper(English) Edward Hopper; July 22, Nyack, New York - May 15, New York) - popular American artist, a prominent representative of American genre painting, one of the largest urbanists of the 20th century.

Biography and creativity

Born in Newasqua, New York, the son of a store owner. Since childhood I loved to draw. In 1899 he moved to New York with the intention of becoming an artist. In 1899-1900 he studied at the school of advertising artists. After this, he entered the Robert Henry School, which at that time championed the idea of ​​​​creating modern national art of the United States. The main principle of this school was: “Educate yourself, don’t let me educate you.” A principle aimed at the birth of individuality, albeit insisted on the absence of collectivism and significant national artistic traditions.

In 1906, Edward Hopper went to Paris, where he continued his studies. In addition to France, he visited England, Germany, Holland and Belgium. It was a kaleidoscope of countries and different cultural centers. In 1907, Hopper returned to New York.

In 1908, Edward Hopper took part in an exhibition organized by the G8 organization (Robert Henry and his students), but was not successful. He works even harder and improves his style. In 1908-1910 he again studied art in Paris. From 1915 to 1920 is a period of active creative searches for the artist. No drawings from this period survive because Hopper destroyed them all.

Painting did not bring any profit, so Edward works in an advertising agency, making illustrations for newspapers.

Hopper completed his first engraving in 1915. In total he made about 60 etchings, the best of which were made between 1915 and 1923. Here the main theme of Edward Hopper's work manifested itself - the loneliness of man in American society and in the world.

The engravings brought the artist some fame. He represented them at exhibitions and received awards. Soon a personal exhibition took place, organized by the Whitney Art Studio Club.

By the mid-1920s. Hopper develops his own artistic style, which he remains faithful to until the end of his life. In his photographically verified scenes of modern city life (often done in watercolor), lonely frozen, nameless figures and clear geometric shapes of objects convey a sense of hopeless alienation and the threat hidden in the everyday.

Hopper’s main inspiration as an artist is the city of New York, as well as provincial towns (“Mito”, “Structures of the Manhattan Bridge”, “East Wind over Weehawkend”, “Mining Town in Pennsylvania”). Together with the city, Hopper created a unique image of man in it. The artist’s portrait of a specific person completely disappeared; he replaced it with a generalized, summary view of a loner, an individual city dweller. The heroes of Edward Hopper's paintings are disappointed, lonely, devastated, frozen people depicted in bars, cafes, hotels (“Room in a Hotel”, 1931, “Western Motel”, 1957).

Already in the 20s, the name Hopper entered American painting. He had students and admirers. In 1924 he married the artist Josephine Verstiel. In 1930 they purchased a house on Cape Cord, where they moved. In general, Hopper opened a new genre - the portrait of a house - “Talbot House”, 1926, “Adams House”, 1928, “Captain Killy’s House”, 1931, “House by the Railway”, 1925.

Success brought Hopper material wealth. He leaves his job at an advertising agency. In 1933, the Museum of Modern Art in New York organized a solo exhibition of Edward Hopper, which brought him enormous success and worldwide fame. After her, the artist was accepted into the National Academy of Drawing.

Despite his success, he continued to work fruitfully until 1964, when he became seriously ill. In 1965, Hopper painted his last picture, The Comedians.

On May 15, 1967, Edward Hopper died in New York.

Intending to become a book illustrator, Hopper in 1906-10. visited the artistic capitals of Europe three times, but remained indifferent to avant-garde trends in painting. In his youth he joined the naturalistic “garbage can school”. In 1913 he took part in the notorious Armory Show in New York. He worked on advertising posters and engravings for New York publications.

The numerous reproductions of Hopper's works and their apparent accessibility (in comparison with the "highbrow" avant-garde of French art) made him one of the most popular artists in the United States. In particular, film director and artist David Lynch calls him his favorite artist. Some critics classify Hopper - along with De Chirico and Balthus - as representatives of “magical realism” in the visual arts. Hopper's art also establishes laws of vision and understanding that relate seemingly superficial situations to deeper themes.

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Literature

• Matusovskaya E. M. Edward Hopper. - M., 1977.
• Martynenko N.V. US Painting of the 20th century. Kyiv, Naukova Dumka, 1989. P.22-27.
• Wells, Walter. Silent Theater: The Art of Edward Hopper (London/New York: Phaidon, 2007). Winner of the 2009 Umhoefer Prize for Achievement in the Arts and Humanities.
• Levin, Gail. Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (New York: Knopf, 1995; Rizzoli Books, 2007)

Notes

Links

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30px	[[|Edward Hopper]] in Wikiquote
	[[Lua error in Module:Wikidata/Interproject on line 17: attempt to index field "wikibase" (a nil value). |Edward Hopper]] in Wikisource
30px	[((localurl:Commons:Category: Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. ))?uselang=ru Edward Hopper] on Wikimedia Commons

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Excerpt characterizing Hopper, Edward

– He is very affectionate and kind, you will like him. You wanted to watch something live, and he knows this better than anyone.
Miard approached cautiously, as if sensing that Stella was afraid of him... But this time for some reason I wasn’t scared at all, rather the opposite - he interested me wildly.
He came close to Stella, who at that moment was almost squealing inside with horror, and carefully touched her cheek with his soft, fluffy wing... A purple fog swirled over Stella’s red head.
“Oh, look, mine is the same as Veiya’s!..” the surprised little girl exclaimed enthusiastically. - How did this happen?.. Oh-oh, how beautiful!.. - this already referred to the new area that appeared before our eyes with absolutely incredible animals.
We stood on the hilly bank of a wide, mirror-like river, the water in which was strangely “frozen” and, it seemed, one could calmly walk on it - it did not move at all. A sparkling fog swirled above the river surface, like a delicate transparent smoke.
As I finally guessed, this “fog, which we saw everywhere here, somehow enhanced any actions of the creatures living here: it opened up the brightness of their vision for them, served as a reliable means of teleportation, in general, it helped in everything they could at that moment these creatures were not engaged. And I think it was used for something else, much, much more, which we could not yet understand...
The river meandered like a beautiful wide “snake” and, smoothly going into the distance, disappeared somewhere between the lush green hills. And along both its banks amazing animals walked, lay and flew... It was so beautiful that we literally froze, amazed by this stunning sight...
The animals were very similar to unprecedented royal dragons, very bright and proud, as if they knew how beautiful they were... Their long, curved necks sparkled with orange gold, and on their heads there were red spiked crowns with teeth. The royal beasts moved slowly and majestically, with every movement shining with their scaly, pearlescent blue bodies, which literally burst into flames when exposed to the golden-blue rays of the sun.
- Beauty-and-and-more!!! – Stella barely exhaled in delight. – Are they very dangerous?
“Dangerous people don’t live here; we haven’t had them for a long time.” I don’t remember how long ago... - came the answer, and only then did we notice that Vaiya was not with us, but Miard was addressing us...
Stella looked around in fear, apparently not feeling too comfortable with our new acquaintance...
– So you have no danger at all? – I was surprised.
“Only external,” came the answer. - If they attack.
– Does this also happen?
“The last time it was before me,” Miard answered seriously.
His voice sounded soft and deep in our brains, like velvet, and it was very unusual to think that such a strange half-human creature was communicating with us in our own “language”... But we are probably already too accustomed to all sorts of wonderful miracles, because within a minute they were freely communicating with him, completely forgetting that he was not a person.
- And what - you never have any troubles?! – the little girl shook her head in disbelief. – But then you’re not at all interested in living here!..
She spoke of a real, unquenchable Earthly “thirst for adventure.” And I understood her perfectly. But I think it would be very difficult to explain this to Miard...
- Why isn’t it interesting? – our “guide” was surprised, and suddenly, interrupting himself, pointed upward. – Look – Saviya!!!
We looked at the top and were dumbfounded.... Fairy-tale creatures were smoothly floating in the light pink sky!.. They were completely transparent and, like everything else on this planet, incredibly colorful. It seemed as if marvelous, sparkling flowers were flying across the sky, only they were incredibly large... And each of them had a different, fantastically beautiful, unearthly face.
“Oh-oh.... Look... Oh, what a miracle...” for some reason Stella said in a whisper, completely stunned.
I don't think I've ever seen her so shocked. But there really was something to be surprised about... In no way, even the wildest fantasy, could it be possible to imagine such creatures! , spraying sparkling golden dust behind him... Miard made a strange “whistle”, and the fairy-tale creatures suddenly began to smoothly descend, forming above us a solid, huge “umbrella” flashing with all the colors of their crazy rainbow... It was so beautiful what was breathtaking!..
The first to “land” to us was pearl-blue, pink-winged Savia, who, having folded her sparkling wings-petals into a “bouquet”, began to look at us with great curiosity, but without any fear... It was impossible to calmly look at her whimsical beauty, which She attracted me like a magnet and I wanted to admire her endlessly...
– Don’t look too long – Savia is fascinating. You won't want to leave here. Their beauty is dangerous if you don’t want to lose yourself,” Miard said quietly.
- Why did you say that there is nothing dangerous here? So this isn't true? – Stella was immediately indignant.
“But this is not a danger that needs to be feared or fought against.” “I thought that’s what you meant when you asked,” Miard was upset.
- Come on! We, apparently, will have different concepts about many things. This is normal, right? – “nobly” the little girl reassured him. -Can I talk to them?
- Speak if you can hear. – Miard turned to the miracle Savia who had come down to us, and showed something.
The wondrous creature smiled and came closer to us, while the rest of his (or her?..) friends still floated easily right above us, sparkling and shimmering in the bright rays of the sun.
“I am Lilis...lis...is...” an amazing voice echoed. He was very soft, and at the same time very sonorous (if such opposite concepts can be combined into one).
- Hello, beautiful Lillis. – Stella joyfully greeted the creature. - I'm Stella. And here she is – Svetlana. We are people. And you, we know, Saviya. Where did you come from? And what is Saviya? – questions again rained down, but I didn’t even try to stop her, since it was completely useless... Stella simply “wanted to know everything!” And she always remained like that. Edward Hopper

File:Girl at Sewing Machine by Edward Hopper.jpg

Edward Hopper. "Behind the Sewing Machine" (1921).

Edward Hopper(English Edward Hopper; July 22, Nyack, New York - May 15, New York) - American artist, a prominent representative of American genre painting, one of the largest urbanists of the 20th century.

Biography and creativity

Born in Newasqua, New York, the son of a store owner. Since childhood I loved to draw. In 1899 he moved to New York with the intention of becoming an artist. In 1899-1900 he studied at the school of advertising artists. After this, he entered the Robert Henry School, which at that time championed the idea of ​​​​creating modern national art of the United States. The main principle of this school was: “Educate yourself, don’t let me educate you.” A principle aimed at the birth of individuality, albeit insisted on the absence of collectivism and significant national artistic traditions.

In 1906, Edward Hopper went to Paris, where he continued his studies. In addition to France, he visited England, Germany, Holland and Belgium. It was a kaleidoscope of countries and different cultural centers. In 1907, Hopper returned to New York.

In 1908, Edward Hopper took part in an exhibition organized by the G8 organization (Robert Henry and his students), but was not successful. He works even harder and improves his style. In 1908-1910 he again studied art in Paris. From 1915 to 1920 is a period of active creative searches for the artist. No drawings from this period survive because Hopper destroyed them all.

Painting did not bring any profit, so Edward works in an advertising agency, making illustrations for newspapers.

Hopper completed his first engraving in 1915. In total he made about 60 etchings, the best of which were made between 1915 and 1923. Here the main theme of Edward Hopper's work manifested itself - the loneliness of man in American society and in the world.

The engravings brought the artist some fame. He represented them at exhibitions and received awards. Soon a personal exhibition took place, organized by the Whitney Art Studio Club.

By the mid-1920s. Hopper develops his own artistic style, which he remains faithful to until the end of his life. In his photographically verified scenes of modern city life (often done in watercolor), lonely frozen, nameless figures and clear geometric shapes of objects convey a sense of hopeless alienation and the threat hidden in the everyday.

Hopper’s main inspiration as an artist is the city of New York, as well as provincial towns (“Mito”, “Structures of the Manhattan Bridge”, “East Wind over Weehawkend”, “Mining Town in Pennsylvania”). Together with the city, Hopper created a unique image of man in it. The artist’s portrait of a specific person completely disappeared; he replaced it with a generalized, summary view of a loner, an individual city dweller. The heroes of Edward Hopper's paintings are disappointed, lonely, devastated, frozen people depicted in bars, cafes, hotels (“Room in a Hotel”, 1931, “Western Motel”, 1957).

Already in the 20s, the name Hopper entered American painting. He had students and admirers. In 1924 he married the artist Josephine Verstiel. In 1930 they purchased a house on Cape Cord, where they moved. In general, Hopper opened a new genre - the portrait of a house - “Talbot House”, 1926, “Adams House”, 1928, “Captain Killy’s House”, 1931, “House by the Railway”, 1925.

Hopper, Edward (1882 - 1967)

Hopper, Edward

Edward Hopper was born July 22, 1882. He was the second child of Garrett Henry Hopper and Elizabeth Griffith Smith. After the wedding, the young couple settles in Nyack, a small but prosperous port near New York, not far from Elizabeth's widowed mother. There the Baptist couple, the Hoppers, would raise their children: Marion, born in 1880, and Edward. Either due to natural inclination of character, or due to strict upbringing, Edward will grow up silent and withdrawn. Whenever possible, he will prefer to retire.

The artist's childhood

Parents, and especially the mother, sought to give their children a good education. Trying to develop the creative abilities of her children, Elizabeth immerses them in the world of books, theater and the arts. With its help, theatrical performances and cultural conversations were organized. The brother and sister spent a lot of time reading in their father's library. Edward gets acquainted with the works of American classics, reads translations of Russian and French writers.

Young Hopper began to be interested in painting and drawing very early. He educates himself, copying the illustrations of Phil May and the French draftsman Gustave Doré (1832-1883). Edward will become the author of his first independent works at the age of ten.

From the windows of his home, located on a hill, the boy admires the ships and sailboats sailing in Hudson Bay. The seascape will remain a source of inspiration for him throughout his life - the artist will never forget the view of the east coast of the United States, often returning to it in his works. At the age of fifteen, he built his own sailboat from parts provided by his father.

After attending private school, Edward attended high school in Nyack, graduating in 1899. Hopper is seventeen years old, and he has one burning desire - to become an artist. His parents, who always supported their son’s creative endeavors, were even pleased with his decision. They recommend starting your studies with graphic arts, or better yet, with drawing. Following their advice, Hopper first enrolled in the Correspondence School of Illustrating in New York to learn the profession of illustrator. Then in 1900 he entered the New York School of Art, popularly called Chase School, where he would study until 1906. His teacher there would be Professor Robert Henry (1865-1929), a painter whose work was dominated by portraits. Edward was a diligent student. Thanks to his talent, he received many scholarships and awards. In 1904, The Sketch book magazine published an article about the activities of Chase School. The text was illustrated with a piece by Hopper depicting a model. However, the artist will have to wait many more years before he gets the taste of success and fame.

The irresistible charm of Paris

In 1906, after graduating from school, Hopper got a job in the advertising bureau of CC Philips and Company. This lucrative position does not satisfy his creative ambitions, but it allows him to feed himself. In October of the same year, the artist, on the advice of his teacher, decides to visit Paris. A great admirer of Degas, Manet, Rembrandt and Goya, Robert Henry sent Hopper to Europe to enrich his stock of impressions and gain a detailed acquaintance with European art.

Hopper would remain in Paris until August 1907. He immediately succumbs to the charm of the French capital. Later, the artist would write: “Paris is a beautiful, elegant city, and even too decent and calm in comparison with the terribly noisy New York.” Edward Hopper is twenty years old and continues his education on the European continent, visiting museums, galleries and art salons. Before returning to New York on August 21, 1907, he made several voyages around Europe. First, the artist comes to London, which he retains the memory of as a city “sad and sorrowful”; there he becomes acquainted with the works of Turner in the National Gallery. Hopper then travels to Amsterdam and Haarlem, where he is excited to discover Vermeer, Hals and Rembrandt. At the end he visits Berlin and Brussels.

After returning to his hometown, Hopper again worked as an illustrator, and a year later he went to Paris. This time, working in the open air gives him endless pleasure. Following in the footsteps of the Impressionists, he painted the embankments of the Seine in Charenton and Saint-Cloud. Bad weather in France forces Hopper to end his journey. He returned to New York, where in August 1909 he exhibited his paintings for the first time as part of the Exhibition of Independent Artists, organized with the assistance of John Sloan (1871-1951) and Robert Henry. Inspired by his creative achievements, Hopper visited Europe for the last time in 1910. The artist will spend several weeks in May in Paris and then go to Madrid. There he will be more impressed by bullfighting than by Spanish artists, about whom he will not mention a word later. Before returning to New York, Hopper stops in Toledo, which he describes as a "wonderful old town." The artist would never come to Europe again, but he would remain impressed by these travels for a long time, admitting later: “After this return, everything seemed too ordinary and terrible to me.”

Difficult start

The return to American reality is difficult. Hopper is desperately short of funds. Suppressing his dislike for the work of an illustrator, the artist, forced to earn a living, returns to it again. He works in advertising and for periodicals such as Sandy Magazine, Metropolitan Magazine and System: Magazine of Business. However, Hopper devotes every free minute to painting. “I never wanted to work more than three days a week,” he would say later. “I saved time for my creativity, illustration depressed me.”

Hopper persists in painting, which remains his true passion. But success does not come. In 1912, the artist presented his Parisian paintings at a collective exhibition at the Mac Dowell Club in New York (from now on he would exhibit here regularly until 1918). Hopper is vacationing in Gloucester, a small town on the Massachusetts coast. In the company of his friend Leon Kroll, he returns to childhood memories, drawing the sea and ships that always fascinate him.

In 1913, the artist’s efforts finally began to bear fruit. Invited by the National Select Committee to take part in the New York Armory Show in February, Hopper is selling his first painting. The euphoria of success quickly passes, since others will not follow this sale. In December, the artist settled at 3 Washington Square North, in New York, where he would live for more than half a century, until his death.

The following years were very difficult for the artist. He cannot live on the income from the sale of paintings. So Hopper continued his illustration work, often for meager earnings. In 1915, Hopper exhibited two of his paintings, including “Blue Evening,” at the Mac Dowell Club, and critics finally noticed him. However, he will wait for his personal exhibition, which will take place at the Whitney Studio Club, only in February 1920. At that time, Hopper was thirty-seven years old.

Inspired by his success in the field of painting, the artist experiments in other techniques. One of his etchings will receive many different awards in 1923. Hopper also tries his hand at watercolor painting.

The artist spends the summer in Gloucester, where he continues to paint landscapes and architecture. He works with great enthusiasm, he is driven by love. Josephine Verstiel Nivison, whom the artist first met at the New York Academy of Fine Arts, spends her holidays in the same area and wins the artist’s heart.

Finally recognition!

Josephine, who has no doubt about Hopper's great talent, inspires him to participate in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The watercolors the artist displays there bring him considerable success, and Hopper revels in the growing recognition. Their romance with Joe develops, they discover more and more common ground. Both love theater, poetry, travel and Europe. Hopper is distinguished during this period by simply insatiable curiosity. He loves American and foreign literature and can even recite Goethe's poems in the original language. Sometimes he writes his letters to his beloved Jo in French. Hopper is a great connoisseur of cinema, especially black and white American cinema, the influence of which is clearly visible in his work. Fascinated by this silent and calm man with a distinguished appearance and intelligent eyes, the energetic and full of life Jo marries Edward Hopper on July 9, 1924. The wedding took place at the Evangelical Church in Greenwich Village.

1924 was a year of success for the artist. After the wedding, the happy Hopper exhibits watercolors at Frank Ren Gelerie. All works were sold straight from the exhibition. Having waited for recognition, Hopper can finally quit his boring job as an illustrator and do his favorite work.

Hopper is rapidly becoming a “fashionable” artist. Now he can “pay the bills.” Elected a member of the National Academy of Design, he refuses to accept the title because the Academy has not accepted his work in the past. The artist does not forget those who offended him, just as he remembers with gratitude those who helped and trusted him. Hopper will “shall be faithful” throughout his life to Frank Wren Guelery and the Whitney Museum, to which he bequeaths his works.

Years of recognition and glory

After 1925, Hopper's life stabilized. The artist lives in New York and spends every summer on the New England coast. In early November 1933, the first retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Next year the Hoppers are building a studio home in Sauce Truro, where they will spend their holidays. The artist jokingly calls the house a “chicken coop.”

However, the couple's attachment to this house does not prevent them from traveling. When Hopper lacks creative inspiration, the couple travels out into the world. So, in 1943-1955 they visited Mexico five times, and also spent a long time traveling around the United States. In 1941, they drove across half of America by car, visiting Colorado, Utah, the Nevada desert, California and Wyoming.

Edward and Joe live exemplary lives and in perfect harmony with each other, but some kind of rivalry casts a shadow on their union. Jo, who was also an artist, suffers silently in the shadow of her husband's fame. Since the early thirties, Edward has become a world-famous artist; The number of his exhibitions is growing, and numerous awards and prizes do not bypass him. In 1945, Hopper was elected a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. This institution awarded him a gold medal in 1955 for his services in the field of painting. A second retrospective of Hopper's paintings took place at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1950 (the museum would host the artist twice more: in 1964 and 1970). In 1952, the work of Hopper and three other artists was selected to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale. In 1953, Hopper, along with other artists representing figurative painting, took part in editing the Reality review. Taking this opportunity, he protests against the dominance of abstract artists within the walls of the Whitney Museum.

In 1964, Hopper begins to get sick. The artist is eighty-two years old. Despite the difficulties with which painting was given to him, in 1965 he created two, which became his last, works. These paintings were painted in memory of my sister who died this year. Edward Hopper dies on May 15, 1967 at the age of eighty-five in his Washington Square studio. Shortly before this, he received international recognition as a representative of American painting at the Biennale in Sao Paulo. The transfer of the entire creative legacy of Edward Hopper to the Whitney Museum, where today most of his works can be seen, will be carried out by the artist’s wife Jo, who will leave this world a year after him.

There are images that immediately and for a long time captivate the viewer - they are like mousetraps for the eyes. The simple mechanics of such pictures, invented in accordance with the theory of conditioned reflexes of Academician Pavlov, are clearly visible in advertising or reporter photographs. Hooks of curiosity, lust, pain or compassion stick out from them in all directions - depending on the purpose of the image - selling washing powder or collecting charity funds. Having become accustomed, like a strong drug, to the flow of such pictures, one can overlook, miss, as insipid and empty, pictures of a different kind - real and living (unlike the first ones, which only imitate life). They are not so beautiful, and they certainly do not evoke the typical unconditional emotions, they are unexpected and their message is questionable. But only they can be called art, the illegal “stolen air” of Mandelstam.

In any field of art, there are artists who have created not only their own unique world, but also a system of vision of the surrounding reality, a method of transferring everyday phenomena into the reality of a work of art - into the small eternity of a painting, film or book. One of these artists who developed his own unique system of analytical vision and, so to speak, implanted his eyes into his followers, was Edward Hopper. Suffice it to say that many film directors around the world, including Alfred Hitchcock and Wim Wenders, considered themselves indebted to him. In the world of photography, his influence can be seen in the examples of Stephen Shore, Joel Meyerowitz, Philip-Lorca diCorcia and the list goes on. It seems that echoes of Hopper’s “detached gaze” can be seen even in Andreas Gursky.

Before us is a whole layer of modern visual culture with its own special way of seeing the world. A view from above, a view from the side, a look from a (bored) passenger from the train window - half-empty stops, unfinished gestures of those waiting, indifferent wall surfaces, cryptograms of railway wires. It is hardly legitimate to compare paintings and photographs, but if it were allowed, then we would consider the mythological concept of the “Decisive Moment”, introduced by Cartier-Bresson, using the example of Hopper’s paintings. Hopper's photographic eye unmistakably highlights his "decisive moment." Despite all the apparent randomness, the movements of the characters in the paintings, the colors of the surrounding buildings and clouds are precisely coordinated with each other and are subordinated to the identification of this “decisive moment”. True, this is a completely different moment than in the photographs of the famous Zen photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. There this is the moment of peak movement performed by a person or an object; the moment when the situation being photographed has reached the maximum of its expressiveness, which allows you to create a picture characteristic of this particular moment in time with a clear and unambiguous plot, a kind of squeeze or quintessence of a “beautiful” moment that should be stopped at any cost. According to the precepts of Doctor Faustus.

Philippe-Lorca di Corchia "Eddie Anderson"

Modern journalistic narrative photography, and as a consequence, advertising photography, has its origins in the premise of stopping a beautiful or terrible moment. Both use the image only as an intermediary between the idea (product) and the consumer. In this system of concepts, the image becomes a clear text that does not allow any omissions or ambiguities. However, I am closer to the minor characters in magazine photographs - they still do not know anything about the “decisive moment”.

The “decisive moment” in Hopper’s paintings is a few moments behind Bresson’s. The movement there has only just begun, and the gesture has not yet taken on a phase of definiteness: we see its timid birth. And therefore, Hopper’s painting is always a mystery, always melancholic uncertainty, a miracle. We observe a timeless gap between moments, but the energetic tension of this moment is as great as in the creative void between the hand of Adam and the Creator in the Sistine Chapel. And if we talk about gestures, then the decisive gestures of God are rather Bressonian, and the unrevealed gestures of Adam are Hopperian. The first ones are a little “after”, the second ones are more like “before”.

The mystery of Hopper’s paintings also lies in the fact that the actual actions of the characters, their “decisive moment,” are only a hint of the true “decisive moment,” which is located outside the frame, beyond the boundaries of the frame, at the imaginary point of convergence of many other intermediate “decisive moments.” moments" of the painting.

At first glance, Edward Hopper's paintings lack all the external attributes that might attract the viewer - the complexity of the compositional solution or the incredible range of colors. Monotonous colorful surfaces covered with dull strokes can be called boring. But unlike “normal” paintings, Hopper’s works in an unknown way strike the very nerve of vision and leave the viewer thoughtful for a long time. What's the mystery here?

Just as a bullet with a displaced center of gravity hits harder and more painfully, so in Hopper’s paintings the semantic and compositional center of gravity is completely shifted to some imaginary space outside the boundaries of the painting itself. And this is the main mystery, and for this reason the paintings become in some way semantic negatives of ordinary paintings, built according to all the rules of pictorial art.

It is from this artistic space that the mysterious light flows, at which the inhabitants of the paintings look as if enchanted. What are these - the last rays of the setting sun, the light of a street lamp, or the light of an unattainable ideal?

Despite the deliberately realistic subjects of the paintings and ascetic artistic techniques, the viewer is not left with a feeling of elusive reality. And it seems that Hopper deliberately palms off the illusion of appearances on the viewer, so that behind the false moves the viewer will not be able to discern the most important and essential. Isn’t this what the reality around us does?

One of Hopper's most famous paintings is NightHawks. Before us is a panorama of the night street. A closed empty store, the dark windows of the building opposite, and on our side of the street - the window of a night cafe, or as they are called in New York - dive, in which there are four people - a married couple, a single person sipping his long drink, and a bartender (“Do you want it with or without ice?”). Oh no, of course I was wrong - the man in the hat who looks like Humphrey Bogart and the woman in the red blouse are not husband and wife. More likely, they are secret lovers, or... Isn't the man on the left a mirror double of the first? The options multiply, the plot grows out of the understatement, as happens while walking around the city, looking into open windows, eavesdropping on snippets of conversations. Unfinished movements, unclear meanings, uncertain colors. A performance that we are not watching from the beginning and are unlikely to see its ending. At best, it is one of the actions. Untalented actors and a completely useless director.

It’s as if we are peeking through a crack into someone else’s unremarkable life, but so far nothing is happening - but does something happen so often in ordinary life? I often imagine that someone is watching my life from afar - here I am sitting in a chair, here I got up, poured tea - nothing more - upstairs they are probably yawning from boredom - no meaning or plot. But to create a plot, an external, detached observer is simply needed, cutting off unnecessary things and introducing additional meanings - this is how photographs and films are born. Or rather, the internal logic of the images itself gives rise to the plot.

Edward Hopper. "Hotel Window"

Perhaps what we see in Hopper's paintings is just an imitation of reality. Perhaps this is the world of mannequins. A world from which life has been removed - like the creatures in the bottles of the Zoological Museum, or stuffed deer, of which only the outer shells remain. Sometimes Hopper's paintings frighten me with this monstrous emptiness, the absolute vacuum that shines through behind every stroke. The path into absolute emptiness, begun by “Black Square”, ended with “Hotel Window”. The only thing that prevents Hopper from being called a complete nihilist is precisely this fantastic light from the outside, these unfinished gestures of the characters, emphasizing the atmosphere of mysterious anticipation of the most important event that does not happen. It seems to me that a literary analogue of Hopper’s work can be considered Dino Buzzati and his “Tatar Desert”. Throughout the entire novel, absolutely nothing happens, but the atmosphere of delayed action permeates the entire novel - and in anticipation of great events, you read the novel to the end, but nothing happens. Painting is much more laconic than literature, and the entire novel can be illustrated with just one painting by Hopper, “People in the Sun.”

Edward Hopper. "People in the Sun"

Hopper's paintings become a kind of proof to the contrary - this is how medieval philosophers tried to determine the qualities of God. The presence of darkness itself proves the existence of light. Perhaps Hopper is doing the same thing - by showing a gray and boring world, he, with just this action of subtracting negative qualities, hints at the existence of other realities that cannot be reflected by means available to painting. Or, in the words of Emil Cioran, “we cannot imagine eternity in any other way except by eliminating everything that happens, everything that is measurable for us.”

And yet, Hopper’s paintings are united by one plot, not only within the framework of the artist’s biography. In their sequence, they represent a series of images that a spy angel would see, flying over the world, looking into the windows of office skyscrapers, entering houses invisible, spying on our unremarkable life. This is how America is, seen through the eyes of an angel, with its endless roads, endless deserts, oceans, streets along which you can study the classical perspective. And the characters, a little like mannequins from the nearest supermarket, a little like people in their little solitude in the middle of a big bright world, blown by all the winds.