Rooms By The Sea 1951

Edward Hopper made "Rooms By The Sea" at some point in his career, using oil on canvas. Hopper's way of putting paint on is interesting because it's so flat, but he uses colour to give it shape. Look at that wall, how it catches the light! There's a stark contrast between the shadowed and sunlit areas. It almost splits the painting in two. The paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking this is real. It embraces its nature, becoming part of the dream and adding to the painting's emotional punch. The textures aren’t smooth either; you can almost feel the canvas, like a memory trying to surface. Hopper's work reminds me a bit of Giorgio de Chirico, both capturing this strange quietness, a world that feels both familiar and totally alien. Art is this ongoing chat, where artists riff off each other, creating new ways of seeing and feeling. It's not about giving answers, but about making you think.