Street Corner 1923

Edward Hopper made this watercolor street corner with houses. It's light, it's airy, it's also kind of sad. I can imagine Hopper outside, in the sun, painting. Maybe he liked how the light fell on the houses, this mix of shadow and light. I like the shadows: there is something so simple about the shapes and colors; the brush strokes are loose, and the color is transparent. When I look at it I imagine the way the water dried, how it bloomed and stained the paper. Maybe he was thinking about the way people live in these houses, their everyday lives, their privacy. He has been such an inspiration for so many artists. Hopper’s ability to capture a sense of loneliness and isolation in such a simple scene still speaks to artists today. It makes me want to go paint the urban corners of my neighborhood, and think about those who have come before me.