Edward Hopper (1882-1967) dreamed of becoming a book illustrator, worked as an advertising designer, and gained fame as one of America’s most popular artists thanks to his paintings inspired by New York City and its inhabitants. In his works, they look disappointed, lonely, and devastated — like frozen people in bars, cafes, and hotels. A solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1933 brought Hopper enormous success and worldwide fame. After this exhibition, the artist was accepted into the National Academy of Design. Hopper is called a “dreamer without illusions” and a “poet of empty spaces.” He painted piercingly lifeless interiors and landscapes: railroads with nowhere to go, night cafes with no escape from loneliness. For example, Nighthawks is one of his most famous works. They say that Hopper is director David Lynch’s favorite artist.
Hopper was born and lived until the age of 28 in the town of Nye, New York, in the home of his maternal grandfather, John Smith. After Edward left for New York, his sister remained in the house with her family, and the artist often visited her. Since 1971, the Edward Hopper House Museum has been open here. Recently, thanks to the work of architect Walter Kane and interior designer Ernest de la Torre, the center restored the painter’s bedroom in the style of the corresponding era: a wide wooden bed and bedside table, a chest of drawers with a table lamp and books, a fireplace, and the artist’s work corner with an easel and paints. Fans of Hopper’s work know that the natural light in the room in the morning and the view of the Hudson River had a strong influence on the artist’s creativity, and visitors who arrive here early in the morning will be able to see the play of light familiar from the painting Morning Sun (1952). In addition, Hopper enthusiasts will be able to purchase the right to spend the night in this room at auction. The proceeds will go towards educational initiatives at the center, which works with local schools, and the organization of an educational space at the Edward Hopper House. The online auction has already started and will run until the morning of October 15, with the results to be determined at an auction that evening at the Edward Hopper House. The interior exhibition is open to visitors until May 31, 2017.