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Edward Hopper: A -Z
From "Cape Cod" to "Time," an illustrated guide to the keywords of Edward Hopper's iconography The distinctive melancholy found in Edward Hopper’s (1882–1967) paintings often leads viewers to wonder about the more intimate details of the artist’s life. Where exactly did this master of loneliness live and work? What influenced him most while he was working on his great paintings of America?
In this wonderful, simply structured A-to-Z book, Ulf Küster pursues these themes, telling us a great deal about the painter and his interests without losing sight of the work itself. Küster takes us through the ABCs of Hopper’s life and work, from “American landscape,” “Buick,” “Cape Cod,” “Dos Passos,” “El[evated] Train,” “Frost,” “Goethe,” “House,” “Illustration” and “Josie” to “Shadow and Sunlight”―and of course the keyword, “Time.”
On the way he opens up many new doors and insights, enriching the views of Hopper’s paintings and the possible reinterpretation of them. Touching on lesser-known facets of the artist’s life such as his passion for literature, as well as his early pursuits in illustration as a career, this entertaining and informative book provides a closer look into the life of this master in American realism, who continues to be a source of inspiration for countless painters, photographers and filmmakers today.
In this wonderful, simply structured A-to-Z book, Ulf Küster pursues these themes, telling us a great deal about the painter and his interests without losing sight of the work itself. Küster takes us through the ABCs of Hopper’s life and work, from “American landscape,” “Buick,” “Cape Cod,” “Dos Passos,” “El[evated] Train,” “Frost,” “Goethe,” “House,” “Illustration” and “Josie” to “Shadow and Sunlight”―and of course the keyword, “Time.”
On the way he opens up many new doors and insights, enriching the views of Hopper’s paintings and the possible reinterpretation of them. Touching on lesser-known facets of the artist’s life such as his passion for literature, as well as his early pursuits in illustration as a career, this entertaining and informative book provides a closer look into the life of this master in American realism, who continues to be a source of inspiration for countless painters, photographers and filmmakers today.
- GenresArtNonfiction
56 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2020
3 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Edward Hopper
97 books20 followersEdward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. In both his urban and rural scenes, his spare and finely calculated renderings reflected his personal vision of modern American life.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 4, 2020
5 out of 5 stars! ⭐ EDWARD HOPPER (1882–1967) is the master of American Realism. His paintings captured life during his era. His method of painting rapidly became the stylistic foundation of a type of American modernism. A source of inspiration for countless painters, photographers, and filmmakers, his body of work continues to be influential to this very day.
What a phenomenal short, informative, fascinating and captivating read that was. Thank you to my dear friend Simone for recommending this to read to me before I go see his paintings at the Fondation Beyeler on Sunday! I have utterly fallen in love with Edward Hopper's artistry and I loved learning the reasons behind several of his paintings.
So here is what the book is about: That incomparable melancholy in Edward Hopper’s pictures occasionally leads us to look at the details of his life. Where exactly did this master of loneliness live and work? What were his most important influences while he was working on his great paintings of America? In this wonderful, simply structured, A-to-Z book, Ulf Küster pursues these themes, which say a great deal about the painter and his interests, and yet he never loses sight of the artist and the necessary distance to his inimitable pictures. Thus, Küster strolls through the ABCs of Hopper’s life and work, from the “American landscape,” “Buick” “Goethe,” and “shadow and sunlight” to the key word, “time.” On the way he opens up many new doors or insights, enriching the views of Hopper’s paintings and making it possible to interpret them in new ways. An entertaining and informative book.
"If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." - Edward Hopper
What a phenomenal short, informative, fascinating and captivating read that was. Thank you to my dear friend Simone for recommending this to read to me before I go see his paintings at the Fondation Beyeler on Sunday! I have utterly fallen in love with Edward Hopper's artistry and I loved learning the reasons behind several of his paintings.
So here is what the book is about: That incomparable melancholy in Edward Hopper’s pictures occasionally leads us to look at the details of his life. Where exactly did this master of loneliness live and work? What were his most important influences while he was working on his great paintings of America? In this wonderful, simply structured, A-to-Z book, Ulf Küster pursues these themes, which say a great deal about the painter and his interests, and yet he never loses sight of the artist and the necessary distance to his inimitable pictures. Thus, Küster strolls through the ABCs of Hopper’s life and work, from the “American landscape,” “Buick” “Goethe,” and “shadow and sunlight” to the key word, “time.” On the way he opens up many new doors or insights, enriching the views of Hopper’s paintings and making it possible to interpret them in new ways. An entertaining and informative book.
"If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." - Edward Hopper
July 8, 2020
Häppchen- oder besser: buchstabenweise werden Leben und Schaffen des einzigartigen Malers Edward Hopper beschrieben. Das Buch gleicht einem Kaleidoskop bunter Facetten, die die wichtigsten Themen, Orte und Emotionen von Edwards Hopper Malerei auch für absolute 'Kunstbanausen' verständlich beleuchten. Durch die kurzen, aber dennoch umfassenden und anschaulichen Abschnitte sind die unterschiedlichen Aspekte sehr angenehm zu lesen und reflektieren. Natürlich dürfen Abdrucke der wichtigsten Bilder nicht fehlen, die das Buch komplettieren. Somit bietet 'Edward Hopper: A bis Z' eine hervorragende Einleitung in das Werk des bedeutenden Malers.
May 29, 2020
5 Sterne - ein wunderbares Buch um sich auf die Ausstellung von Edward in der Fondation Beyeler vorzubereiten, aber auch um nachzulesen, wenn man dort war.
Kurze informative Texte und Bilder zu vielen Aspekten aus Edward Hoppers Leben geben einen grossartigen Gesamtüberblick.
Prädikat empfehlenswert Buch wie auch die Ausstellung in Basel
Kurze informative Texte und Bilder zu vielen Aspekten aus Edward Hoppers Leben geben einen grossartigen Gesamtüberblick.
Prädikat empfehlenswert Buch wie auch die Ausstellung in Basel
September 18, 2022
I've read detailed catalog books about Hopper exhibits, and I've read essays about him. Ulf Kuster put together a wonderful little Hopper volume exploring his life, his works, and even a good bit about his interaction with Jo and other artists and writers. I love adding this small book to my shelf, where I can pick up and ponder his paintings at will without the heft of digging my coffee table books out from their place in the stack.
Through Kuster's insights into Hopper's history and his work, I also see a connection to artists of all kinds - particularly writers. Kuster's interpretation: "Hopper discusses a very fundamental problem in his 'Notes on Painting,' namely the difference between the artist's mostly unconscious, inner image that represents his true subject matter and difficulty he has in realizing it through conscious technical means encompassing the intellect. His vision is exposed to decay through the practical procedures involved in realizing the respective work:". And if that doesn't apply to writers, musicians, and other artists I'll eat my hat.
This little gem of a book also looks at poets, writers, and film producers whose stories impacted Hopper. Now that I ponder Hopper as a fan of reading and theater, that makes him more relatable. The author explains: "People who read are in their own inner worlds, worlds that are invisible to others. The exceptional characteristic of Edward Hopper's art is that it makes these dimensions of the invisible tangible. The view is left to find the paths to explain that which cannot be seen." I love this blend of using something most of us understand - getting lost in a work of writing - to how exceptional Hopper's works are where they create an entire story that viewers can get lost in with a single instant in time.
Unfortunately for me, this book also introduced me to the idea of a visit to Nyack, NY to see the house (museum) in which Hopper grew up. Darn it, every time I read a book my travel bucket list seems to grow!!
Through Kuster's insights into Hopper's history and his work, I also see a connection to artists of all kinds - particularly writers. Kuster's interpretation: "Hopper discusses a very fundamental problem in his 'Notes on Painting,' namely the difference between the artist's mostly unconscious, inner image that represents his true subject matter and difficulty he has in realizing it through conscious technical means encompassing the intellect. His vision is exposed to decay through the practical procedures involved in realizing the respective work:". And if that doesn't apply to writers, musicians, and other artists I'll eat my hat.
This little gem of a book also looks at poets, writers, and film producers whose stories impacted Hopper. Now that I ponder Hopper as a fan of reading and theater, that makes him more relatable. The author explains: "People who read are in their own inner worlds, worlds that are invisible to others. The exceptional characteristic of Edward Hopper's art is that it makes these dimensions of the invisible tangible. The view is left to find the paths to explain that which cannot be seen." I love this blend of using something most of us understand - getting lost in a work of writing - to how exceptional Hopper's works are where they create an entire story that viewers can get lost in with a single instant in time.
Unfortunately for me, this book also introduced me to the idea of a visit to Nyack, NY to see the house (museum) in which Hopper grew up. Darn it, every time I read a book my travel bucket list seems to grow!!
August 28, 2020
Hervorragend zur Vor- und Nachbereitung des Ausstellungsbesuchs!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews