Hopper, Edward (1882-1967), was an American painter whose pictures of New York City and life in small New England towns are among the finest realistic works of his time. Hopper depicted ordinary scenes such as city streets and country roads, restaurants, movie theaters, lighthouses, storefronts, and bedrooms. Through these everyday subjects, he expressed feelings of loneliness and isolation. There are no people in many of his works. Even the paintings that show couples suggest melancholy and a lack of communication.
Hopper achieved a sense of loneliness and finality in his paintings through strong patterns of light and shade. The omission of distracting detail and the geometric arrangement of the compositions give Hopper’s paintings an abstract power.
Hopper was born on July 22, 1882, in Nyack, New York, and lived in New York City. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator for years. He was unable to concentrate fully on painting until he was past 40. He died on May 15, 1967.
