Hopper’s Reflection

Art x Fashion Edit #20

The American painter Edward Hopper is famous for his geometric, most of the time empty landscape scenes focusing on lights and shadows. This theme sparked his interest as he was still a student in Paris, and he kept going back to it as he lived and worked in New York City and summered in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The painting Rooms by the Sea (1951) is based on the view of the back of the secluded studio he built at Truro, overlooking the ocean. While the title can be taken literally as representing a specific space, it refers more to the atmosphere of solitude and reflective contemplation one is struck by when looking at the sea.

Hopper was particularly good in conveying feelings through his paintings. More than that, the longing of his scenes are an invitation to introspection and self-questioning. While the emptiness of the rooms and the large prominence of the sun coming in through the open door elude feelings of despair and loneliness, they are also an invitation to hope and adventure.

Like it is often the case in seemingly straightforward situations, there are several levels of reading and understanding this work, of seeing the glass half-full or half-empty, and in fact, of dealing with the intertwining of situations that are more complex than they seem. Or simpler than they appear.

This painting inspired me an outfit for the sea, not only to walk on the sand (please remove your precious shoes to avoid damage), but to sit and reflect on what has been, what is, and what is to come. It is about nailing the details while never loosing sight of the big picture.