Edward Hopper Paints His World by Robert Burleigh (review)

Students fortunate enough to retain a robust art program in their curriculum are generally introduced early on to the moody, melancholy, slightly mysterious paintings of Edward Hopper, and many readers will promptly recognize a scene strongly reminiscent of Nighthawks on this book’s cover. One of the two fedora’d gentlemen, though, approaches the diner rather than sits at the counter—could it be Hopper himself? Burleigh’s introduction to Hopper sidesteps much of his biographical background and zeros in instead on Hopper’s artistry, describing his careful observation of scenes and his ability to make shifty amendments to the details, to invite viewers to speculate on what goes on behind glimpsed windows, and to sense loneliness, solitude, or simply guarded privacy in the interiors. Minor’s gouache illustrations depict both episodes from Hopper’s life and his various inspirations, and the transitions between full color scenes, sepia-toned sketches, large expansive landscapes, and tightly focused shots provide effective variety. The illustrations follow Burleigh’s lead in pondering Hopper’s own viewing experience and in so doing draw the audience into Hopper’s artistic process: “But Edward didn’t just copy what he saw. His paintings often combined things he sketched on his travels.” Hopper’s art appears in only four reproductions—barely more than thumbnails—that may leave readers wishing for more. Appended materials include notes by the author and illustrator, quotations from Hopper, a themed bibliography, a paragraph with important dates, and the aforementioned reproductions with brief interpretations.