While visiting the Boston Museum of Fine Arts I came upon something that really surprised me. I acquired an appreciation for Edward Hopper (1882-1967). There was an exhibit of his work on tour and I decided to attend. Now we all know Nighthawks. (Part of the permanent collection in the Art Institute of Chicago.)
What I didn’t know was that the rest of his work would blow me away. His use of sunlight and shadow and windows let you see things you’d never think to look at. The museum’s brochure called his work “the ordinary, made extraordinary.” Indeed, he painted very ordinary subjects such as a girl at a sewing machine, a movie theater, people eating at a Chinese restaurant (Chop Suey), and an empty room with sunlight streaming into it. Outdoors he depicted street scenes, lighthouses, a gas station, and tugboats. I became an instant fan.
His influence on other artists was far reaching. His painting House by the Railroad inspired Alfred Hitchcock (the house in Psycho) and Terrence Malick (the house in Days of Heaven).
Many poets wrote poems inspired by his paintings (including your humble servant) and there were collections of these poems gathered along with the pictures. Several documentaries have been made and shown in theaters, museums, and on television about his life and work.
Here are a few of my favorites, but if you ever get the chance to view his paintings in person, do it.
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