HOPPER

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) is considered the first significant Americanpainter in 20th century art. Living in a secluded country house with hiswife, Josephine, he depicted the loneliness of big city people in canvasafter canvas. Probably the most famous of them, "Nightawks", done in 1942,shows a couple seated quietly, as if turned inwards upon themselves, in theharsh artificial light of an all-night restaurant. Many of Hopper'spictures represent views of streets and roads, rooftops, abandoned houses,depicted in brilliant light that strangely belies the melancholy mood ofthe scenes. Hopper's paintings are marked by striking juxtapositions ofcolor, and by the clear contours with which the figures are demarcatedfrom their surroundings. His extremely precise focus on the theme ofmodern men and women in the natural and man-made environment sometimeslends his pictures a mood of eerie disquiet. In "House by the Railroad", aharsh interplay of light and shadow makes the abandoned building seemveritably threatening. On the other hand, Hopper's renderings of rockylandscapes in warm brown hues, or his depictions of the seacoast, exude anunusual tranquillity that reveals another, more optimistic side of hischaracter.