EDWARD HOPPER, artist quotes on his painting art & artistic life in American modern Realism + biography facts
Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967), quotes on his painting art and life in American Realism + short biography facts. Hopper was the great realism painter artist of the ‘American modern way of life’ and is probably the most famous american painter of the 20th century. In his artist quotes Hopper tells his biography story about his life, art style and his ideas on painting American Realism. Hopper made several long stays in Paris and it was this art-city which influenced him in his art style of late Impressionism. It was in 1962 that he called himself ‘still an Impressionist’! Hopper’s most famous painting is ‘Nighthawks’, see the picture here.
* At the bottom more biography story, life facts & art links for the paintings of the famous American realism painter, Edward Hopper. – the editor
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Edward Hopper: ‘Nighthawks’, 1943 |
Edward Hopper, artist quotes on his life and painting art in American Realism
- Paris is a very graceful and beautiful city, almost too formal and sweet to the taste after the raw disorder of New York. Everything seems to have been planned with the purpose of forming a most harmonious whole, which certainly has been done (as young artist Hopper was already very much attracted by and had circa 1908 – 1911 several stays in Paris where he painted early city-views in sober colors, fh)… …Every street here is alive with all sorts of conditions of people, priests, nuns, students, and always the little soldiers with wide red pants.
* Edward Hopper, source of his artist quote on his stay in Paris, from his: letter to his mother, 30 October 1906, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 13.
- The people here in fact seem to live in the streets, which are alive from morning until night, not as they are in New York with that never-ending determination for the “long-green”, but with a pleasure-loving crowd that doesn’t care what it does or where it goes, so that it has a good time.
* Edward Hopper memorizes in this artist quote the atmosphere of the city Paris of circa 1908 during his early stay, in his: : letter to his mother, 30 October 1906, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 14.
- Everyone goes to the “Grands-Boulevards” and let himself loose… …Do not picture these in costume, they are not for the most part… …perhaps a clown with a big nose, or two girls with bare necks and short skirts… …the parade of the queens of the halls (markets) is also one of the events… …Some are pretty but look awkward in their silk dresses and crowns, particularly as the broad sun displays their defects – perhaps a neck too thin or a painted face which shows ghastly white in the sunlight.
* artist quote by Hopper, sketching the street atmosphere of the Grands-Boulevards of the city Paris during the ‘carnival’ of Mi-Careme: in a letter to his mother May 11, 1907, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 27.
- I could just go a few steps (from the place where Hopper stayed in Paris in 1906- 1907, fh) and I’d see the Louvre across the river. From the corner of the rue de Bac and Lille (sic) you could see Sacré-Coeur. It hung like a great vision in the air above the city.
* Edward Hopper, source of his artist quote about his early artist-visit to Paris and the Louvre museum: as quoted in “Art in America”, nr. 52, Brian O’Doherty (1964) p. 73.
- It seemed awful crude and raw here when I got back (after he returned to America, from his third and last trip to Europe, in 1910, fh). It took me ten years to get over Europe.
* Hopper describes his hard times in America after his several stays in Europe and mainly in Paris; source: : as quoted in “Portrait Edward Hopper”, Brian O’Doherty p. 73. as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 23.
- Partly through choice, I was never willing to hire out more than three days a week (making illustrations for the magazines ‘Sunday Magazine, the Metropolitan Magazine and Everybody’s’, to support himself, fh) I kept some time to do my own work. Illustrating was a depressing experience. And I didn’t get very good prices because I didn’t often do what they wanted.
* source of his artist quote on making illustrations for his living, back in America, as quoted in “Arts Digest”, April 1, – ‘Edward Hopper, The Emptying spaces’ Suzanne Burray, 1955 p. 9 & 33
- After I took up etchings (in 1915, fh), my paintings seemed to crystallize (during the early 1920s, fh).
* his quote indicates the starting-point for his painting career of Hopper by etching (circa 1915, fh), source of his artist quote, from:“Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 39.
- Sloan, not having been abroad, has seen these things (street and city views in New York, fh) with a truer and fresher eye than most… … John Sloan (an American colleague artist of Hopper who started also his art by making illustrations, fh) not having been abroad, has seen these things with a truer and fresher eye than most… …The hard early training has given to Sloan a facility and a power of invention that the pure painter seldom achieves.
* source of his artist quote on the illustrations and paintings of American artist John Sloan, in: “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 39.
- At Gloucester (village at the sea where Hopper with his wife Jo had married and stayed during the summer of 1924, fh) when everyone else would be painting ships and the waterfront I’d just go around looking at houses (watercolor: ‘Haskell’s house, 1924). It is a solid looking town. The roofs are very bold, the cornices bolder. The dormers cast very positive shadows. The sea captain influence I guess – the boldness of ships.
* biography quote on Gloucester at the sea, where Hopper painted some watercolor paintings in open air directly in front of his motif, fh), in: a interview by William Johnson, p. 17, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 46.
- ..the great painters, with their intellect as master, have attempted to force this unwilling medium of paint and canvas into a record of their emotions (remark of 1933).
* source of his quote on the master painters; as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p 49.
- The idea (for the painting ‘Room in New York’, Hopper painted in 1932, fh) had been in my mind a long time before I painted it. It was suggested by glimpses of lighted interiors seen as I walked along city streets at night, probably near the district where I live (Washington Square, New York, fh) although it’s no particular street or house, but is really a synthesis of many impressions.
* Edward Hopper explains the roots and long inspiration time by the night-street images in New York, preparing his famous painting ‘Room in New York’ – source of his artist quote,as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 60
- I was always interested in architecture, but the editors (of the magazines, Hopper made his illustrations for in his early times, fh) wanted people waving with their arms.
* source of his artist quote, referring to his early and long-lasting fascination for architecture, houses and streets, like in his early Paris street-views circa 1910 already, fh) in: ‘New York Post’ November 26, 1935, quoted by Archer; as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 47.
- So much of every art is an expression of the subconscious that it seems to me most of all the important qualities are put there unconsciously, and little of importance by the conscious intellect. But these are things for the psychologist to untangle.
* Edward Hopper reveals here his conviction of the importance of the subconscious, as a source in his painting art; his artist quote in a letter to Charles H. Sawyer, October 29, 1939; as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 49
- The only quality that endures in art is a personal vision of the world. Methods are transient: personality is enduring.
* source of his artist quote – before 1951 – on the meaning of personality in creating art, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p.80
- Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world… …The inner life of a human being is a vast and varied realm.
* Edward Hopper on the importance of an inner life for the artists to create his art with a personal vision, in a quote from : “Statements by Four Artists”, in ‘Reality 1.’ (Spring 1953, p. 8.
- Jo, his wife, remarked on Hopper’s painting ‘Cape Cod morning’, 1950: ‘the painting went off speedily… …It is a woman looking out to see if the weather is good enough to hang out her wash’. Hopper reacted: ‘did I say that? You’re making it Norman Rockwell. From my point of view she’s just looking out the window, just looking out the window’.
* artist quote in arguing with his wife on the interpretation of his famous painting ‘Cape Cod morning, Hopper painted in 1950; Jo and Edward Hopper are quoted in “Gold for Gold”, in ‘Time’, May 30, 1955, p. 72.
- Just to paint a representation or design is not hard, but to express a thought in painting is. Thought is fluid. What you put on canvas is concrete, and it tends to direct the thought. The more you put on canvas the more you lose control of the thought. I’ve never been able to paint what I set out to paint.
* Edward Hopper describes the difficulty of expressing and maintaining a fluid thought by painting in concrete, source: “Three Hundred Years of American Painting”, quoted by Alexander Eliot – New York: Time Inc. 1957, p. 298.
- (Hopper was asked why he selected certain subjects above others, fh): I do not exactly know, unless it is that I believe them (his chosen subjects in his paintings above all other possible subject, fh) to be the best mediums for a synthesis of my inner experience.
* source of his artist quote on the chosen subjects in his painting art: as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 52
- I am after ME (his response on the question what he was after in his sober painting in 1963 ‘Sun in an empty room’, fh) .
* Edward Hopper’s short reaction on a question about the backgrounds of his famous painting he painted in 1963 ‘Sun in an empty room’, as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 52
- To me the most important thing is the sense of going on. (Hopper was referring to the many hotel bedrooms and lobbies in his paintings, fh) You know how beautiful things are when you’re traveling.
* source of this artist quote, in a: “Edward Hopper in Sao Paulo 9” quoted by William C. Seitz, Smithsonian Press, 1969, p. 22.
- It’s (the lack of communication between the people in Hopper’s paintings, fh) probably a reflection of my own, if I may say, loneliness. I don’t know. It could be the whole human condition.
* his artist quote as explanation of the ‘lonely’ expression in his paintings: 1965; interview with Aline Saarinen, NBC-TV, 1964; as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 69.
- Ninety percent of them (the artists in general, fh) are forgotten ten minutes after they’re dead.
* his artist quote on the artist’s fame in general, after death:; as quoted in “Edward Hopper”, Gail Levin, Bonfini Press, Switzerland 1984, p. 80
not sourced artist quote by the famous American painter artist Edward Hopper
- I think I’m still an impressionist (his famous artist quote on being an ‘Impressionist’, by Edward Hopper, in 1962)
short biography facts and life story of the famous American Realism painter Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was and still is probably the most famous Realism painter of twentieth century America. He stayed in Paris for several times during his starting years as a young painter and made during his stays series of impressionistic little paintings of the houses and streets in Paris in brown and umber colors. He admired impressionist French painters like Degas, but also older masters as the Dutch painter Vermeer, and more classical realist artists.
Back in America it was a hard job for Hopper to feel himself at home again. He had to work as an illustrator for several magazines to earn his money. When he was 42 Hopper became successful in selling his own paintings; he could effort to stop his illustrator jobs and to focus completely on panting.
His paintings of persons in interiors are in fact spare compositions with only a few details and just slight suggestions of symbolic or emotional content. The subconscious was an important area for Hopper as a source for his painting art.. Moreover he painted a lot of American landscapes and city-scenes.
Hopper started already to sign and to date his early drawings as a boy of ten. In 1899 he studied illustrations, and one year later already he enrolled the New York School of Art. He had his first stay in Paris during 1906 – 1907; he would have three important stays in this city and returned definitely in 1911. In 1913 he entered one oil painting in the famous New York ‘Armery Show’, which was over-shadowed by the European avant-garde artist, but nevertheless Hopper sold his work!
In 1920 Hopper had his first one-man show, in the Whitney Studio Club showing primarily his French paintings. It was in 1921 that Hopper began to focus on female figures in domestic interior settings, a theme which would become his most important theme for the rest of his life. His wife Jo was almost always his model and scarcely allowed other women to serve as model. Hopper became very old; he painted till 1963. He managed to finish his last famous painting ‘Two Comedians’ in 1965, despite his illness.
links for more biography information on the American painter Edward Hopper
* the biography of the painter Edward Hopper, on Wikipedia
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* the famous painter Edward Hopper at the National Gallery of Art, Washington
* Scrapbook of Edward Hopper’s work and life, the Smithsonian American Art Museum
