North American Art

Edward Hopper’s Drawings Will Blow Your Mind

Zuzanna Stańska 23 May 2024 min Read

Masterpiece Story: Sea Watchers by Edward Hopper

Video

Edward Hopper Talking About His Creative Process

North American Art

Theater and Cinema in Edward Hopper’s Paintings

Edward Hopper observed the fleeting moments of life for more than a half-century. His paintings became legendary – their simple realism holds secrets, layers of meaning, and hinted-at narratives floating beneath the surface. They make us want to know more, to finish the story. For all these paintings, he created plenty of preparatory drawings. Whitney Museum of American Art owns over 2,500 of Hopper’s drawings bequeathed to the museum by his wife Jo. 2,500! Some of them you can see below. Magnificent, aren’t they?

Edward Hopper lived with his wife Jo in a spare walk-up apartment and adjoining studio near Washington Square, rarely traveling except for summers spent in New England. Along the way, Hopper produced such icons of American art as Nighthawks (1942), the definitive American painting of a late-night diner; Rooms for Tourists (1945), the mysterious Victorian house that has influenced several generations of noir filmmakers; and Office at Night (1940), which continues to intrigue us with its sense of drama frozen in time.

1. The Nighthawks

drawings Edward Hopper, Study for Nighthawks, 1941-1942, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York — Edward Hopper, Study for *Nighthawks*, drawing, 1941-1942, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

drawings Edward Hopper, The Nighthawks, 1942, Art Institute of Chicago — Edward Hopper, *The Nighthawks*, 1942, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

2. The Morning Sun

drawings, Edward Hopper, Study for Morning Sun, 1952, Whitney Museum of American Art — Edward Hopper, Study for Morning Sun, drawing, 1952, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

drawings Edward Hopper, Study for Morning Sun, 1952, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA. — Edward Hopper, Study for Morning Sun, drawing, 1952, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

drawings Edward Hopper, Morning Sun, 1952, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH, USA. — Edward Hopper, *Morning Sun*, 1952, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH, USA.

3. Summertime

drawings Edward Hopper, Study for Summertime, 1943, Whitney Museum of American Art — Edward Hopper, Study for *Summertime*, drawing, 1943, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

drawings Edward Hopper, Summertime, 1943, Delaware Art Museum — Edward Hopper, *Summertime*, 1943, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, USA.

4. Office At Night

drawings Edward Hopper, Study for Office at Night, 1940, Whitney Museum of American of Art — Edward Hopper, Study for *Office at Night*, drawing, 1940, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

drawings Edward Hopper, Office at Night, 1940, Whitney Museum of American of Art — Edward Hopper, *Office at Night*, 1940, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA.

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Zuzanna Stańska

Art Historian, founder and CEO of DailyArtMagazine.com and DailyArt mobile app. But to be honest, her greatest accomplishment is being the owner of Pimpek the Cat.

ProofreaderMelanie Demmer

Melanie is a freelance editor, proofreader, and writer within humanities fields. Follow her on Twitter @melaniesdemmer.