The window in the works of the painter Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper is one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. This is a very special case of an artist whose work defined the iconography of an entire era.

Alumil Team

Updated 12/02/2024

5’ read

Edward Hopper is one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. This is a very special case of an artist whose work defined the iconography of an entire era. Hopper captured through his paintings the eerie side of the urban landscape, the loneliness of the big cities and - in his more contemporary works - the multiple facets of post-war America.

Western motel, 1957

"Western motel, 1957" (credit: "Edward Hopper - Western Motel" by mr.gian is licensed with CC BY 2.0)

One of the constant motifs that pervades Hopper's work is the window. In many of his paintings, we find people standing in front of a window, looking out of it or simply in a space where the window takes up a large part of the painting.

Looking more closely at some of Hopper's works, one can see the artist's love of large window openings. Sometimes natural light passes freely through the space (e.g. in “Office in a small city”) and sometimes the night lights pierce through the large windows of New York cafés or restaurants (“Automat”, “Nighthawks”), illuminating moments among strangers, in the labyrinths of the big city.

Automat, 1927

"Automat, 1927" credit: "Edward Hopper - Automat" by irinaraquel is marked under CC PDM 1.0

Looking at the large windows in Hopper's paintings, they seem to hold a leading role along with his heroes. t is like an informal conversation between the interior and exterior environment, where the window becomes the bridge that connects the two worlds and keeps the balance.

Nighthawks, 1942

"Nighthawks, 1942" credit: "Nighthawks (1942) - Detail - Edward Hopper (1882 - 1967)" by UGArdener is licensed with CC BY-NC 2.0

One might think that Hopper is trying to make a statement about the human need for communication. Large and open windows have always been a means of connecting modern people with their surroundings, making them part of a collective experience.

Office in a small city, 1953

“Office in a small city, 1953” credit: "Edward Hopper - Office in a Small City [1953]" by Gandalf's Gallery is licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Edward Hopper was recognized during his lifetime and won awards in the 1940s and 1950s, before the spotlight shifted to the abstract expressionism school of painting, which at the time was gaining ground versus realist painters like him.

However, his popularity has remained high. Nearly six decades after his death, even in the Internet age we live in, his works are found everywhere and seem more alive than ever. Notably,Hopper is a painter who poetically captured the alienation and distance between people, social issues still unresolved in our time.

Morning Sun, 1952

"Morning Sun, 1952" credit: "Morning Sun" by lluisribesmateu1969 is licensed with CC BY-NC 2.0

If Hopper's heroes sometimes have a sweet melancholy, or are lost in the labyrinthine paths of their thoughts, the window is always there to allow them to breathe and give them a way out of the difficulties of everyday life.