Travel Pick: Art and Archaeology in United States
Edward Hopper on view in Chicago

Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967) is considered the pre-eminent painter of modern America and many of his works have become iconic images of the twentieth century.

By staging scenes and motifs from everyday life, illuminated by strong sunlight or artificial light, Hopper transcended the American experience to address universal concerns and his paintings are profound statements about the human condition. His work places him amongst the ranks of the most significant international painters of the twentieth century, and has inspired generations of film makers, writers and artists including Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, Todd Haynes, William Boyd, Norman Mailer, John Updike, Ed Ruscha, Peter Doig and Luc Tuymans.

This exhibition focuses on the period of Hopper’s greatest achievements—from about 1925 to mid-century—during which he produced many works now considered icons of American art. Comprising fifty oil paintings, thirty watercolors, and twelve prints, including the favorites Automat (1927), Drug Store (1927), Early Sunday Morning (1930), New York Movie (1939), and Nighthawks (1942).


Edward Hopper, American (1882–1967)
Nighthawks, 1942
Friends of American Art Collection, 1942.51
The Art Institute of Chicago
Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago
Photo courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago

Born in Nyack, New York, Hopper was encouraged by Robert Henri, his teacher at the New York School of Art, to spend three sojourns in Paris between 1906 and 1910, where he painted the Parisian cityscape, paying particular attention to the distinctive architecture and light. Back in New York, Hopper returned to American streetscapes and landscapes, and moved in 1913 to 3 Washington Square North where he was to live for the rest of his life. It was not until the age of forty-two, after his first one-person show in 1924, that Hopper was able to devote himself full-time to fine art. In 1933, Hopper’s first retrospective was held at MoMA and in the exhibition catalogue, the museum director, Alfred Barr, celebrated Hopper as the quintessential American modernist artist.