In the December 24 Washington Post, Robert Bruner writes, in an article entitled “The Brush Strokes of Business”:
Recently I saw the Edward Hopper exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. You must see it. Hopper was one of the leading American realist painters of the 20th century. He captured moments of city life seen in cafes, diners and through apartment windows. If you look for growth in technique across his career, you will be disappointed: His human figures remain imperfect. But what his brush strokes lack in detail, his paintings make up in mood. Hopper’s special gift was to portray certain emotions of life in a big city, such as loneliness, detachment and introspection. His scope was not life triumphant, but rather, everyday life, the kind you have to work at. I like his work very much. But for me, the special impact of the exhibition came from a comment by a guide, halfway through the show: “If Hopper had been a better painter, he wouldn’t have been as good an artist.” Think about that. . . .
[For the full article, click here or visit www.washingtonpost.com; to see the National Gallery’s website presentation on the Hopper exhibition, click here or visit www.nga.gov.]