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Edward Hopper: Portraits of America
Book by Schmied, Wieland
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 8, 2025
I very much enjoyed this little book.
The many prints of Hopper’s most famous paintings are of good quality and the accompanying text makes for interesting reading.
The author approaches the painter’s work from various angles (historical, biographical, in relation to the art tradition of the time) and discusses his choices with respect to subject matter, composition, brush stroke and colouring in a way which really enhances one’s understanding of the art.
The many prints of Hopper’s most famous paintings are of good quality and the accompanying text makes for interesting reading.
The author approaches the painter’s work from various angles (historical, biographical, in relation to the art tradition of the time) and discusses his choices with respect to subject matter, composition, brush stroke and colouring in a way which really enhances one’s understanding of the art.
September 10, 2019
An excellent introduction -- with intelligent text and fine reproductions -- of the subtly haunting paintings of Edward Hopper.
May 14, 2020
Hopper is one of my favorite artists and seems very appropriate for the age of social distancing. This is a very well done study of his work and it's meaning.
January 29, 2016
I told myself, I was only gonna get this book if it showcased New York Movie. When I first flipped through the pages, I didn't find it inside. Instead, I started reading the write-up of Hopper's work. After the first page, it left the bookstore with me.
March 15, 2025
Excellent art book!
I’m not an art fanatic but I do enjoy art, and loved looking at Hopper’s art in university. I know use Hopper’s art as a film studies teacher to help students learn about composition and colour. Knowing this, my Nan got me this art book as a birthday present, and I love it!
It’s just informative enough to be a genuinely interesting read, but not so factual that it gets boring. There’s information on Hopper himself, on art movements, and brief breakdowns of the art. There’s also a wide array of Hopper’s art, introducing me to art I’ve not seen, but there’s also mentioning of other, similar artists to Hopper who I can’t wait to research.
I especially love the decision to sort-of sort the art by type of space captures.
I’m not an art fanatic but I do enjoy art, and loved looking at Hopper’s art in university. I know use Hopper’s art as a film studies teacher to help students learn about composition and colour. Knowing this, my Nan got me this art book as a birthday present, and I love it!
It’s just informative enough to be a genuinely interesting read, but not so factual that it gets boring. There’s information on Hopper himself, on art movements, and brief breakdowns of the art. There’s also a wide array of Hopper’s art, introducing me to art I’ve not seen, but there’s also mentioning of other, similar artists to Hopper who I can’t wait to research.
I especially love the decision to sort-of sort the art by type of space captures.
July 18, 2024
A nice, easy to digest Edward Hopper collection. There didn't seem to be much about the man himself with the focus primarily on his technique an progression.
A few things could improve this publication:
1) Chapters. There aren't any.
2) Add a bit more biography to the mix
3) Move the artwork closer to the discussion. Something I find frustrating in all artist collections is that often the artwork in discussion in the text is many pages away. Surely there is a better way to do this?
A few things could improve this publication:
1) Chapters. There aren't any.
2) Add a bit more biography to the mix
3) Move the artwork closer to the discussion. Something I find frustrating in all artist collections is that often the artwork in discussion in the text is many pages away. Surely there is a better way to do this?
April 2, 2024
Fascinating study of the work of the realist painter, with many high quality reproductions. I'm not an expert in art or Hopper, but the subjects discussed - his use of lighting, the themes of big city loneliness and alienation - were very enlightening. It's a short book that I read in a couple of days, but very absorbing. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2017
I'm on an Edward Hopper kick. I do enjoy most of his paintings
April 7, 2012
Prestel Books are renowned for their quality and detailed art books and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Edward Hooper is the notorious realist painter that painted Nighthwawk (1942) the famous scene depicting big city loneliness in a diner.
Straight away, Wieland Schmied starts with provocative and thought provoking questions:
‘Is he a true Regionalist? Is his art great on account of its local color, or despite it? Or is his work not regionalist at all, and those who seek its origins in the American Scene are mistaken?’
He then goes on to give a brief overview of Edward Hooper’s artistic history with insightful quotes from Hooper:
‘The thing that makes me so mad is the ‘American Scene’ business. I never tried to do the American scene as Benton and Curry and the Midwestern painters did. I think the American Scene painters caricatured America. I always wanted to do myself. The French painters didn’t talk about ‘French scene’ or the English painters about the ‘English Scene’ … the American quality is in a painter – he doesn’t have to strive for it.”
Its clear Hooper plays an important roll in the timestamp of American painting, regardless of the categorical title used.
The book is a cornucopia of information related to Hooper that is written in an academic form. While there is a lot of referencing, it doesn’t interfere with the flow of reading.
There are 11 chapters, each related to one of Hooper’s paintings and each providing information not just on the paintings themselves, but where the artists was personally in his life and how those external factors influenced his life.
Early Sunday Morning – Hooper originally wanted to name it after the street it represented (a stage set from Elmer’s Rice, Street Scene) but viewers prefer this name. This chapter started a biography of Hooper (p16) which was a bit out of sync but as you kept reading, it made more sense. This is also where you’re introduced to Robert Henni and see what an influence he was to Hooper.
Manhattan Bridge Loop – In this chapter, we learn Hooper’s ‘style was crucially shaped by the Paris experience’ although it lacked sharpness associated with the 1920s.
Gas – one of the more pictorial chapters, we get to see how the landscapes and paintery learnt in Paris have weaved their way into Hooper’s style regardless of the subject.
New York Movie – this short chapter talks about ‘transcendental objectivity’ – defined by Max Beckmann ‘a state of upheaval caused by experiences in WWI’. Beckmann went on to say the aim of his work as ‘achieving an objectivity of inner visions.’ Reflecting back over Hooper’s timeline, it is safe to say ‘transcendental objectivity’ applies directly to Hooper’s work (and in some aspects, his personal life).
Office at Night – we start to get an understanding that while Hooper was brilliant with certain subjects or ‘objectivities’, there were a few he avoided (such as freeways, factories, machinery and industrial plants). Although he did touch lightly upon the subject matters, it was only briefly. Interesting, this is also where the reference to the fact that all the people are white middle class. No other ethnic group or different classes are represented.
Nighthawks- For me, this quote sets the tone for this chapter: ‘It was suggested by a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet. I simplified the scene a great deal and made the restaurant bigger. Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city’ (quoted in Robert Hobbs, Edward Hooper, New York, 1987, p. 129). Again, we’re left asking questions and wanting more information. Hooper is a subjective story teller. They are his stories and as much as we want to read in to them, only he knows the truth.
Hotel Lobby – this chapter related to the perceptive in which Hooper drew. While I’m not an artist, I appreciated the value this information would be art historians or students.
Seven A.M. – Edward’s wife Jo Hooper was also left wondering the same questions that we still have today. In notes that supplemented her husband’s journal, we learn that Jo wrote questions such as ‘What is, or was, sold here? What is Hopper telling us?’ This humanist chapter proves we are not the only ones who were left wondering. However, this directly connections to Nighthawks chapter.
Sunlight in a Cafeteria, Second Story Sunlight, and New York Office are short but powerful chapters that again make you think not just what you see on the canvas, but what Hooper is trying to tell us. The direction of light, the placement of items – everything is there for a reason … but why?
There is also a detailed biography and list of illustrations.
With the exception of a few minor typos, the book is exceptional resource for any fan of Hooper or indeed Realism.
Edward Hopper: Portraits of AmericaWieland Schmied
Edward Hooper is the notorious realist painter that painted Nighthwawk (1942) the famous scene depicting big city loneliness in a diner.
Straight away, Wieland Schmied starts with provocative and thought provoking questions:
‘Is he a true Regionalist? Is his art great on account of its local color, or despite it? Or is his work not regionalist at all, and those who seek its origins in the American Scene are mistaken?’
He then goes on to give a brief overview of Edward Hooper’s artistic history with insightful quotes from Hooper:
‘The thing that makes me so mad is the ‘American Scene’ business. I never tried to do the American scene as Benton and Curry and the Midwestern painters did. I think the American Scene painters caricatured America. I always wanted to do myself. The French painters didn’t talk about ‘French scene’ or the English painters about the ‘English Scene’ … the American quality is in a painter – he doesn’t have to strive for it.”
Its clear Hooper plays an important roll in the timestamp of American painting, regardless of the categorical title used.
The book is a cornucopia of information related to Hooper that is written in an academic form. While there is a lot of referencing, it doesn’t interfere with the flow of reading.
There are 11 chapters, each related to one of Hooper’s paintings and each providing information not just on the paintings themselves, but where the artists was personally in his life and how those external factors influenced his life.
Early Sunday Morning – Hooper originally wanted to name it after the street it represented (a stage set from Elmer’s Rice, Street Scene) but viewers prefer this name. This chapter started a biography of Hooper (p16) which was a bit out of sync but as you kept reading, it made more sense. This is also where you’re introduced to Robert Henni and see what an influence he was to Hooper.
Manhattan Bridge Loop – In this chapter, we learn Hooper’s ‘style was crucially shaped by the Paris experience’ although it lacked sharpness associated with the 1920s.
Gas – one of the more pictorial chapters, we get to see how the landscapes and paintery learnt in Paris have weaved their way into Hooper’s style regardless of the subject.
New York Movie – this short chapter talks about ‘transcendental objectivity’ – defined by Max Beckmann ‘a state of upheaval caused by experiences in WWI’. Beckmann went on to say the aim of his work as ‘achieving an objectivity of inner visions.’ Reflecting back over Hooper’s timeline, it is safe to say ‘transcendental objectivity’ applies directly to Hooper’s work (and in some aspects, his personal life).
Office at Night – we start to get an understanding that while Hooper was brilliant with certain subjects or ‘objectivities’, there were a few he avoided (such as freeways, factories, machinery and industrial plants). Although he did touch lightly upon the subject matters, it was only briefly. Interesting, this is also where the reference to the fact that all the people are white middle class. No other ethnic group or different classes are represented.
Nighthawks- For me, this quote sets the tone for this chapter: ‘It was suggested by a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet. I simplified the scene a great deal and made the restaurant bigger. Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city’ (quoted in Robert Hobbs, Edward Hooper, New York, 1987, p. 129). Again, we’re left asking questions and wanting more information. Hooper is a subjective story teller. They are his stories and as much as we want to read in to them, only he knows the truth.
Hotel Lobby – this chapter related to the perceptive in which Hooper drew. While I’m not an artist, I appreciated the value this information would be art historians or students.
Seven A.M. – Edward’s wife Jo Hooper was also left wondering the same questions that we still have today. In notes that supplemented her husband’s journal, we learn that Jo wrote questions such as ‘What is, or was, sold here? What is Hopper telling us?’ This humanist chapter proves we are not the only ones who were left wondering. However, this directly connections to Nighthawks chapter.
Sunlight in a Cafeteria, Second Story Sunlight, and New York Office are short but powerful chapters that again make you think not just what you see on the canvas, but what Hooper is trying to tell us. The direction of light, the placement of items – everything is there for a reason … but why?
There is also a detailed biography and list of illustrations.
With the exception of a few minor typos, the book is exceptional resource for any fan of Hooper or indeed Realism.
Edward Hopper: Portraits of AmericaWieland Schmied
January 25, 2021
Eu não me lembro de quando Nighthawks se tornou o meu quadro favorito, mas sei que houve uma identificação instantânea, assim como, ocorre com a maior parte das minhas artes favoritas.
Lembro-me então de procurar pelo autor e encontrar: seu nome era Edward Hopper.
Essa informação ficaria guardada em minha mente e surgiria novamente no breve período em que morei na região de New England nos Estados Unidos. Em uma Barnes & Noble, encontrei um livro que tinha na capa exatamente o quadro e o nome do autor: era esse Portraits of America que mergulhava profundamente na vida e nas obras do autor. Além disso, descobri, pelos museus de Boston, que Hopper, o autor daquele quadro que tinha gostado tanto, havia produzido boa parte das suas obras em locais não tão distantes da cidade. De porte dessa informação, viajei para um desses recantos, Cape Cod, uma península ensolarada do nordeste americano, cheia de faróis, casarões e estruturas típicas do universo hopperiano. Com auxílio do livro, todas as paisagens dos arredores tornaram-se obras de arte. Experiência completa!
Para quem gosta de Hopper e de arte, mais do que recomendado. É uma oportunidade incrível de visualizar toda a sua produção e entender a importância do pintor para a arte americana no século XX.
Lembro-me então de procurar pelo autor e encontrar: seu nome era Edward Hopper.
Essa informação ficaria guardada em minha mente e surgiria novamente no breve período em que morei na região de New England nos Estados Unidos. Em uma Barnes & Noble, encontrei um livro que tinha na capa exatamente o quadro e o nome do autor: era esse Portraits of America que mergulhava profundamente na vida e nas obras do autor. Além disso, descobri, pelos museus de Boston, que Hopper, o autor daquele quadro que tinha gostado tanto, havia produzido boa parte das suas obras em locais não tão distantes da cidade. De porte dessa informação, viajei para um desses recantos, Cape Cod, uma península ensolarada do nordeste americano, cheia de faróis, casarões e estruturas típicas do universo hopperiano. Com auxílio do livro, todas as paisagens dos arredores tornaram-se obras de arte. Experiência completa!
Para quem gosta de Hopper e de arte, mais do que recomendado. É uma oportunidade incrível de visualizar toda a sua produção e entender a importância do pintor para a arte americana no século XX.
April 23, 2007
Get lost in the best shade of green ever painted.
If you paint, you know green is a strange shade that can take over a piece and can ruin everything.
Edward Hopper is a phenomenal example of controlling greens and illuminating them as well.
If you paint, you know green is a strange shade that can take over a piece and can ruin everything.
Edward Hopper is a phenomenal example of controlling greens and illuminating them as well.
November 21, 2016
Besides the beautiful plates of Hopper's deeply eerie paintings, this book contains an insightful essay that not only traces the evolution of the painter's style but makes connections between Hopper's works and the likes of Ibsen, Hemingway, and Dashiell Hammett.
January 4, 2008
Excellent series of commentaries on select Hopper works.
Well-written with great comparisons and context; and best of all, great reproductions. A must-have for any Hopper collector.
Well-written with great comparisons and context; and best of all, great reproductions. A must-have for any Hopper collector.
August 13, 2014
I love Hopper's art. This book just didn't grab me .
April 23, 2016
Less for the text, which was pedestrian, and more for the pictures, which are ineffable.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews