HOPPER

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) represents a typical American success story, although success might have smiled on him . At 40 years of age, he was a failed artist who had not managed to sell a single painting, until, about to turn 80, Time magazine put him on the cover. Today, half a century after his death, Hopper is considered a giant of modern expression, with an astonishing, unforgettable and utterly personal talent for capturing atmosphere and place.

Much of Hopper's work explores the experience of the modern city. Canvas after canvas, he portrays restaurants, cafes, storefronts, streetlights, gas stations, train stations, and hotel rooms. His scenes are characterized by vivid color juxtapositions and stark, theatrical lighting ; as well as by roughly outlined figures, which seem to integrate into the environment and, at the same time, be alien to it. The setting in all his urban repertoire conveys restlessness, alienation, loneliness and psychological tension, while his scenes of the rural and coastal environment offer a counterpoint of tranquility and optimism.

This book collects Hopper's key works in order to introduce a key artist not only in American art history, but in the psyche of an entire country.