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Edward Hopper (1882 - 1967) American HIGH NOON, 1949 Oil on canvas Height 27 1/2 inches Width 39 1/2 inches Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Haswell, 1971.7 |
Edward Hopper is best known for his poignant yet curiously detached paintings of
modern life, such as High Noon. The painting is characteristic of
Hopper's mature style of simplified planes, broad blocks of color, isolated
figures, and detached viewpoint. The strongly geometrical quality of his
paintings is augmented here by the interplay of lines made by junctions of
sunlight and shadow and the interest in architectural features. While a
seemingly realistic depiction of the scene, in reality the composition is highly
ordered, and many details, such as vegetation and a pathway to the door, have
been left out. That nothing about the painting has been left to chance is also
seen in Hopper's use of at least four preparatory studies. Although High
Noon was painted in Cape Cod, Hopper later said that the locale was really
"Hopper-Land," a term that probably refers to the personalized landscapes he
created through his distinctive treatment of light, color, composition, and
subject matter.
Hopper depicted American subjects, believing that artists should respond to
their own surroundings and heritage. Having studied with Robert Henri, he was
familiar with the work of The Eight, the exhibiting circle with whom Henri was
associated. Like The Eight's core group of urban realists, who focused on
paintings of ordinary city life, Hopper found inspiration in prosaic subjects
such as gas stations, hotel rooms, train compartments, and offices: images
familiar and yet overlooked in everyday existence. Hopper's works differ from
the earlier works, however, in their more ordered compositions, lighter
tonality, and omission of detail. His scenes are peopled by anonymous human
beings, usually physically or psychologically isolated from their environment.
All activity is suspended; indeed, the absence of movement is the event.
Hopper's fascination with solitude and specific times of day is apparent in
High Noon. The woman stands alone at her doorway, seemingly removed from
civilization. Although his isolated, generic figures sometimes reflect the
alienation present in modern society, Hopper enjoyed being alone. In High
Noon, solitude is a positive state, for the woman's air of expectancy and
hope seems to be generated by the sunlight and adds a quality of sexual tension
to the painting.
Marianne Richter
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Goodrich, Lloyd. Edward Hopper. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987.
Levin, Gail. Edward Hopper: The Art and the Artist. Exhibition catalogue,
The Whitney Museum of American Art. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.
O'Doherty, Brian. American Masters: The Voice and the Myth in Modern Art. New York: Dutton, 1982.
