In Hopper's Footsteps

"Stairway at 48 rue de Lille, Paris, 1906"

Edward Hopper

 Years ago, I was captivated by an exhibit at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, "Hopper in Paris".  We think of Hopper as a quintessentially American painter, but he spent a significant amount of time in Paris between 1906 and 1910.  And that time yielded over one hundred drawings and paintings.  During his early Parisian stays, Hopper lived at 48 rue de Lille, in the 7th arrondissement.  His quarters adjoined the Evangelical Baptist Church (which had sponsored his visit).  Here's what it looks like now:

And guess what?  I was there last month!  The ground floor is now a space dedicated to art exhibits, and my friend Marie Sand had an opening there to which I was invited.  Imagine my excitement when she showed me the courtyard--the very one that Hopper had painted. Here's the courtyard as painted by Hopper, and how it appears now:

I poked around the building a little bit, and discovered some humble stairways that were very reminiscent of the one Hopper painted (top image).  Perhaps not the very stairs that were the subject of Hopper's painting, but close enough to give me goosebumps.  It's a thrill to stand in the footsteps of a great painter from the past, and to get a glimpse into his life and his painting process.  I learned from standing in Hopper's shoes that the most humble places can be the impetus for memorable paintings.   

I'm closing with another Hopper painting of his courtyard at rue de Lille, from a higher vantage point.  I can see in these early paintings the themes that would come to define Hopper:  interior spaces without human activity, and the architecture of simple planes and lines.  Hopper's Paris works are definitely worth a close study. 

Hopper Copied!

"Old Ice Pond at Nyak"

Edward Hopper, c. 1898

Faithful readers know how much I enjoy the work of Edward Hopper.  Hopper is one of the great American painters of the early 20th century. He has long been supposed to have been a child prodigy in his painting abilities. Turns out it's time to re-think that whole child prodigy idea.

"A Winter Sunset"

Bruce Crane, c. 1880's

While working on his art history graduate thesis, Louis Shadwick has discovered that paintings by Hopper during his teenage years were actually copies of other works. The one pictured above was copied from a reproduction in a magazine for amateur artists. The magazine even gave detailed instructions as to how to replicate the painting.

This discovery calls into question not only the matter of child prodigy status, but also the belief that Hopper's work depicted his childhood home in Nyack, New York.

"Ships"

Edward Hopper, c. 1898

The same situation applies to Hopper's painting "Ships".  Long believed to be Hopper's original take, it was revealed to have been copied from a reproduction of a painting by Edward Moran.  

"A Marine"

Edward Moran, c. 1880's

Now I must say that copying the masters is a time-honored method of learning to paint. It is a method that is still encouraged, and can yield a treasure trove of ideas. In the best approach, the goal is not to copy the masterwork verbatim (as it were), but rather to use it to see into the mind of the master, and to recreate his visual experience. If a painting is copied slavishly from another painting, it should not be passed off as your own.  

Back to Hopper--here's a link to Shadwick's recent article about Hopper's copying of these magazine reproductions.  A new page turns in the analysis of Hopper's work!

The Maine Thing

"Sea at Ogunquit"
Oil on Canvas, 24 3/16 x 29 1/8
Edward Hopper, 1914

I've recently been to Maine, and my thoughts have been turning to all the wonderful artists who have painted in Maine through the years. Such a rich history! There are some locations that seem to exert a magnetic pull on painters, beckoning them from far and wide. Maine is definitely one of those locations. 

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"Across Linekin Bay, Maine"
Oil on Panel, 8 x 9 3/4
Robert Henri, 1903

Edward Hopper spent nine summers painting in Maine, very early in his career. His luscious landscapes from that period are a wonder to behold, and are a far cry from his later urban scenes. If you enjoy such things, the Wall Street Journal

Seeing the Light

"Hodgkin's House"
Oil, 28 x 36 inches
Edward Hopper, 1928

It was the great painter Edward Hopper who said "All I really want to do is paint the light on the side of a house."  We can certainly  see and feel his enthusiasm for that endeavor when we look at his paintings. I love the light and shadow he captured in the top painting. I can almost feel the warmth of the sunlight on one facade, especially compared with the coolness of the shaded side of the house. I think the reason that these paintings of Hopper's have endured as masterpieces is that they are no mere architectural renderings of structures--they are stories about light and shadow!

"House on Pamet River"
Edward Hopper, 1934

Equally compelling is Hopper's "House on Pamet River", just above. This one is more complex--a marvelous melange of shapes. I love the geometry here! Even though there are a lot of angles and rooflines, the painting retains a simplicity that is striking. I would not dare compare myself to Hopper, but lately I have been experiencing the same pull  to paint

The Maine Event

"Sea at Ogunquit"
Oil on Canvas, 24 3/16 x 29 1/8
Edward Hopper, 1914

I have just returned from a painting trip to Maine. I was graciously hosted at the family home of a good painting buddy. She invited three other painters to join her for the week's adventure. We had great weather, and there was no shortage of painting motifs. I think I could stay on Bailey Island for months--or years--and still not tire of painting there.

"Across Linekin Bay, Maine"
Oil on Panel, 8 x 9 3/4
Robert Henri, 1903

Maine has attracted more than its share of artists through the years, Edward Hopper spent nine summers painting in Maine, early in his career. His luscious landscapes from that period are a wonder to behold, and are a far cry from his later urban scenes. If you enjoy such things, the Wall Street Journal just published an article

Where the Hearth Is

"Fireplace at Hopper's New York Apartment"
Pen and ink on paper, 1925-30
Edward Hopper

Lately I have been studying drawings by some of the great painters of the past. I have been struck by a recurrent motif--the artist's depiction of his own room, or his own home. In particular, I have been drawn to simple drawings that feature the fireplace hearth, and perhaps a favorite chair nearby. These drawings have such a sense of

Stairways

"Flight"
14 x 11, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2014

One of my most popular posts lately has been the one about Hopper in Paris. Hopper's interiors--particularly his staircase--generated a lot of response from faithful readers. Inspired by Hopper, and by the stairs in my Paris rental apartment last month, I have been working on a series of staircase paintings. Believe me, this is not easy stuff. But I have been patient, and I have not allowed the object to get the better of me. Instead, I have focused on

Hopper in Paris

"Notre Dame, No. 2"
Edward Hopper, 1907

Over ten years ago, the Mint Museum mounted an exhibition "Edward Hopper: The Paris Years". I was completely taken by the wonderful Hopper canvases from Paris. These lovely paintings were quite early in Hopper's career. He made three trips to Paris between 1906 and 1909, as a young man in his mid-20's. This period was well before the development of his mature style, and before his famous body of work, which focuses on the 20th century urban world. I love what Scott Lucas wrote about Hopper's Paris paintings: "These are paintings by a driven and talented artist rambling through the treasure-trove of style and technique laid out before him in the galleries and museums of Paris

Urban Revitalization

"Yonkers"
Edward Hopper

I have always loved the urban landscape. Though I have never lived in a huge metropolis, I have always lived within two miles of downtown--be the town small or large. Lately I have been painting the urban scene near my studio, in the SouthEnd of Charlotte. As I have done so, I have reflected on