Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967) was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. His subjects commonly feature elements of mundane American life (gas stations, motels, restaurants,) with its human inhabitants and their subtle interaction with the environment. The mood of his paintings are often mired in a sense of solitude, detachment and melancholy.

This art book (published by Phaidon) collects over 200 pieces of Hopper’s work and is an excellent resource for a comprehensive look at his paintings. (above) “Nighthawks”, unquestionably the artist’s most famous painting.

(above left) Seeing this piece invariably reminds me of Michael Mann’s films, in particular his heist masterpiece Heat. If you’ve seen his films before you will notice many recurring visual themes that are homages to Hopper’s art. See a clip from Heat below :

(above) Yet another piece of Hopper’s work that had a strong influence on a major motion picture – the late DP Conrad Hall referenced the look and mood of Hopper’s paintings when shooting Sam Mendes crime film “Road To Perdition.” The cinematography is stunning and I love the film immensely. See the trailer below :

It’s hard for me to put this book down once I start flipping through. A fantastic collection of paintings from one of American’s most influential artists. Highly recommended.

“Silent Theater : The Art Of Edward Hopper” details :

– Dimensions – 11.3 x 9.7 x 1.2 inches
– Softcover, 264 pages
– Full color

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