Journal of Institute of Fine Arts

Abstract

The works of Edward Hopper that
consist of images of daily American life are structured in a way to reflect the
individual who is isolated with the development of industrialization. For this
reason, in order to understand the paintings of the artist, firstly the
conditions of the United States in the 20th century were discussed, and the
loneliness, alienation and isolation of the modern individual were focused on.
The era of war and economic crisis the country was involved in was elaborated
upon by establishing a relationship with the pessimistic ambiance in the paintings
of Hopper. After describing these sources utilized by the artist, the works
named Automat (1927), Room in New York (1932), New York Movie (1939),
Nighthawks (1942) and Western Motel (1957) were historically and sociologically
examined with the critical method through the American lifestyle and the traces
it carries regarding modern life. During this examination, it was aimed to make
an association between the elements used by the painter in his compositions,
his way of approaching the topic and the stylistic elements of his paintings
and the American social structure in the 20th century. This association is not
only important as it shows that changing position of the individual in the
society against the modern lifestyle, but also provides Hopper’s paintings with
the quality of documents.

When artist’s works are examined, it is clear that the
artist is in the concern of showing the 20th century American society and
culture to which he belongs. Therefore, these works, which describe the modern
life as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution that emerged in America in
the 1900s, emphasize the relationship of the individual with modernity and show
the artist's desire to describe the realities of the outside world.