Early life Edward Hopper

childhood home of edward hopper in upper nyack, new york

hopper born in 1882 in upper nyack, new york, yacht-building center on hudson river north of new york city. 1 of 2 children of comfortably well-to-do family. parents, of dutch ancestry, elizabeth griffiths smith , garret henry hopper, dry-goods merchant. although not successful forebears, garrett provided 2 children considerable wife s inheritance. retired @ age forty-nine. edward , sister marion attended both private , public schools. raised in strict baptist home. father had mild nature, , household dominated women: hopper s mother, grandmother, sister, , maid.

his birthplace , boyhood home listed on national register of historic places in 2000. operated edward hopper house art center. serves nonprofit community cultural center featuring exhibitions, workshops, lectures, performances, , special events.

hopper student in grade school , showed talent in drawing @ age five. readily absorbed father s intellectual tendencies , love of french , russian cultures. demonstrated mother s artistic heritage. hopper s parents encouraged art , kept him amply supplied materials, instructional magazines, , illustrated books. teens, working in pen-and-ink, charcoal, watercolor, , oil—drawing nature making political cartoons. in 1895, created first signed oil painting, rowboat in rocky cove. shows interest in nautical subjects.

in self-portraits, hopper tended represent himself skinny, ungraceful, , homely. though tall , quiet teenager, prankish sense of humor found outlet in art, in depictions of immigrants or of women dominating men in comic situations. later in life, depicted women figures in paintings. in high school, dreamed of being naval architect, after graduation declared intention follow art career. hopper s parents insisted study commercial art have reliable means of income. in developing self-image , individualistic philosophy of life, hopper influenced writings of ralph waldo emerson. later said, admire him greatly...i read him on , on again.

hopper began art studies correspondence course in 1899. transferred new york school of art , design, forerunner of parsons new school design. there studied 6 years, teachers including william merritt chase, instructed him in oil painting. on, hopper modeled style after chase , french impressionist masters Édouard manet , edgar degas. sketching live models proved challenge , shock conservatively raised hopper.

another of teachers, artist robert henri, taught life class. henri encouraged students use art make stir in world . advised students, isn t subject counts feel , forget art , paint pictures of interests in life. in manner, henri influenced hopper, notable future artists george bellows , rockwell kent. encouraged them imbue modern spirit in work. artists in henri s circle, including john sloan, became members of 8 , known ashcan school of american art. hopper s first existing oil painting hint @ famous interiors solitary figure in theater (c.1904). during student years, painted dozens of nudes, still life studies, landscapes, , portraits, including self-portraits.

in 1905, hopper landed part-time job advertising agency, created cover designs trade magazines. hopper came detest illustration. bound economic necessity until mid-1920s. temporarily escaped making 3 trips europe, each centered in paris, ostensibly study emerging art scene there. in fact, however, studied alone , seemed unaffected new currents in art. later said didn t remember having heard of picasso @ all. highly impressed rembrandt, particularly night watch, said wonderful thing of have seen; s past belief in reality.

hopper began painting urban , architectural scenes in dark palette. shifted lighter palette of impressionists before returning darker palette comfortable. hopper later said, got on , later things done in paris more kind of things now. hopper spent of time drawing street , café scenes, , going theater , opera. unlike many of contemporaries imitated abstract cubist experiments, hopper attracted realist art. later, admitted no european influences other french engraver charles méryon, moody paris scenes hopper imitated.