Edward Hopper, Compartiment C, Car 293

Hopper's paintings are unmistakable. They are close to us since he always portrayed the spirit of nowadays’ kind of life.

He is a realistic painter in terms of technique, but he doesn’t stick to merely represent reality. His paintings tell us stories, show us emotions; he makes us face the solitude of human beings in our cities, with the civilization of our landscapes as witness… His inspirations were Manet, Degas and Courbet, but the background of his works is closer to De Chirico and Magritte.

We should not forget that Hopper works in an epoch in which cubism and, later, abstract expressionism (Pollock, Rothko, Johns, etc.) were the trend. In this context, he was a special snowflake: but he always stayed loyal to himself. It took him some effort to make a name, but he achieved it.

Today I chose this one painting, an example of his most usual theme: train trips. Amd with a very mysterious lady...

Sources: Levin, G. Edward Hopper: the art and the artist. New York, Whitney Museum, 1980

Levin, G. Edward Hopper: biografia intima. Truccazzano, Johan & Levi Ed., 2009

Renner, R.G. Edward Hopper 1882-1967. Köln, Benedikt Taschen, 1991

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