Biography
Despite the natural talent, the bright representative of the American realism, Edward Hopper, remained in the shadow of compatriots for a long time. Only when the artist turned 40 years old, his paintings, saturated with flowers and history, similar to blurred photos, began to be listed among art connoisseurs.Childhood and youth
The painter was born on July 22, 1882 in Niake, New York, in the Baptist family Elizabeth Griffiths Smith and Garrett Henry Hopper. The financial well-being of parents allowed Edward and his older sister Marion to receive knowledge in private schools.
Already in 5 years, Hopper showed craving for creativity. Parents encouraged the boy's desire, bought me easels and brushes, specialized literature. He knew how to draw a feather with a teenager and carbon, coal, watercolor, butter, skillfully wrote from nature, was bald by comics. The first signed painting by oil - "Vein boat in a rocky bay" (1895).
As a child, Hopper dreamed of tieting life with the sea, but, he matured, firmly decided to become an artist. Parents seen a son in commerce. Despite their desire, he entered the School of Fine Arts in New York, where he met with his teachers William Chase and Robert Henry.
Personal life
In 1924, the wife of Edward Hopper became Josephine Nivison, an artist. Young people got acquainted long before the wedding, in 1905 in the lessons of Robert Henry. They communicated, shared artistic developments, but the romantic turnover of their relationship was accepted only in 1923.Nivison was open, cheerful, adhered to liberal views. Hopper was more often in himself, he was sullen, looked at life conservatively. The couple managed to burn at the expense of a compromise: after the wedding, Nivison divided the ascetic lifestyle of the spouse, performed for him the main muse and model.
The success of Hopper is obliged to be the wife: she pushed him to create watercolors, which became massively popular.
It is difficult to judge whether the personal life of Hopper and Nivison is happy. They lived 43 years together, but did not have acquired children. Yes, and the theme of solitude forever pursued the creativity of Hopper. Wife survived the artist for 10 months. Their bodies are buried in one grave.
Creation
Hopper started with sketches of urban scenes. Sometimes he diluted black and brown with brighter colors, but in the dark, as if he felt more comfortable. Throughout the work, Hopper prevailed muffled, calm tones.
Unlike contemporaries, Hopper has for realism. During the time of abstractionists, the viewer's survey of the actual picture of the world was not easy, nevertheless in 1913 the artist sold the first work "Sailing" (1911). The 31-year-old Hopper hoped that from this point on, his career would go uphill, but was mistaken.
In 1915, a stagnation of Hopper as an artist, but he revealed himself as an engraver. He created more than 70 etchings who portrayed the scenes from the life of Paris and New York. Thanks to them, the painter acquired the style and, finally, became famous.
The final breakthrough came in 1923, after 6 watercolors hopper were exhibited in the Brooklyn Museum. Critics struck his work, which on the first evening found their buyers.
The most expensive picture of Hopper - "Two in the aisle" (1927): $ 1.5 thousand, the artist bought a car. The rest of the canvases was sold at reasonable prices, he lived until the end of his days, did not care and refused the awards.
The best works of the hopper appeared at the sunset of his life. The earliest - "midnights" (1942), the final - "two comedians" (1966). They say that men and a woman shown in the paintings is the artist himself and his faithful companion of Josephine Nivison.
Painting Edward Hopper imposed an indelible imprint on the American culture of the 20th century. Directed by David Lynch calls him his favorite artist. He said that if not for "midnights", the TV series "Twin Pix" would never see the light. And the picture "House at the Railway" (1925) served as a prototype to the film "Psycho" Alfred Hichkoka. In general, many hopper works to this day are reflected in world art.
Death
The biography of Edward Hopper broke through the 84th year of life, on May 15, 1967, in New York. The cause of death has become acute renal failure. The artist's body rests on the Cemetery of Oak Hill in his node.Hopper widen his work. Nivison, in turn, left them jointly created collection (more than 3 thousand exhibits) the museum of American art Whitney. The most significant paintings of the hopper are also kept in the New York Museum of Contemporary Art, Demońskih Center for Arts and the Chicago Institute of Arts.
Paintings
- 1921 - "Girl behind a sewing machine"
- 1925 - "House at the Railway"
- 1928 - "Loop of Manhattan Bridge"
- 1929 - "Chop Suway"
- 1935 - "Makuba Dam Bridge"
- 1939 - "New York Cinema"
- 1942 - "Midths"
- 1943 - "Lobby of the hotel"
- 1952 - "Hotel at the Railway"
- 1955 - "Hotel window"
- 1960 - "Sunlight on the second floor"
- 1966 - "Two Comedan"