Home Fine Art Today 12 Edward Hopper Paintings of Paris

12 Edward Hopper Paintings of Paris

November 9, 2020

The Phillips Collection is presenting a collection of Edward Hopper paintings exclusively on loan from the Whitney Museum of American Art. These defining works were created during the iconic American painter’s early career while he lived in and visited Paris. “Hopper in Paris” is on view at The Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.) through January 10, 2021.

“We are honored to welcome a selection of works from the Whitney Museum of American Art’s important holdings of Edward Hopper,” says Dr. Dorothy Kosinski, Vradenburg Director and CEO of The Phillips Collection. “The Phillips has enjoyed a long history with Edward Hopper since its acquisitions ‘Sunday’ (1926) and ‘Approaching a City’ (1946). While paintings such as these are the quintessential Hopper celebrated today, the lesser-known Paris pictures provide a rare glimpse into the artist’s early period of experimentation, which set the stage for his later development.”

From the organizers:

In 1906, following his artistic training with William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri at the New York School of Art, Edward Hopper (b. 1882, Upper Nyack, NY; d. 1967, New York, NY) lived for a year in Paris, later returning for shorter sojourns in 1909 and 1910.

The works on loan from the Whitney—quiet, urban scenes devoid of people—are critical early examples, painted before Hopper returned to the U.S. and began creating his images of American life and identity.

In Paris, Hopper enjoyed observing and capturing everyday life on the streets and visiting exhibitions to see the latest expressions in modern art. His picturesque views of the Parisian landscape are rendered in stark contrasts of light and dark, framed from high vantage points and striking angles, presaging elements that would become the hallmark of his mature work.