Edward Hopper: New York Artist
Learn about the classy New Yorker from the 1920s to 1960s- The artist of the famous Nighthawks and Lighthouse.
The Life & Legacy of Edward Hopper
Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist. – Edward Hopper
Hopper was a painter and printmaker who painted American life and beautiful “empty spaces” with landscapes of the everyday. Using realism with light, he displayed loneliness, urban life and beautiful landscapes such as his famous lighthouse.
Edward Hopper did not live a wild life like many of his predecessors. He studied illustration and print making in 1901. Though he traveled to Europe multiple times, he was not smitten by the art movements in France and Italy at that time. He remained true to his urban realism and the American spirit of the everyday. Later he married an artist and traveled often to Cape Cod.
He kept to himself and lived a quiet life. No kids known. He had an apartment in Manhattan area and painted happily. He dabbled in oils, sketching, etchings and watercolors. While I love the famous Nighthawks painting, I was taken by surprise by the subtlety and beauty of the lighthouse. That’s why I chose that photo as an activity and found a great template to go with it courtesy of Art Projects for Kids.
The Lighthouse Lesson
Materials
- Colored pencils
- Grid template or plain paper
- Lighthouse sample
- Pencil
Lesson
- Explain the history and artistry of Hopper
- Show lighthouse sample of step by step adding in the lines to draw the lighthouse.
- Best to explain that each box shows a new section to draw to your larger one blank page
- Variation – use grid paper to do step by step like the sample and show the individual changes.
- We tried the boxes and then decided to make one picture based on each step.
Resources
Edward Hopper Paints His World by Robert Burleigh
A simple colorful book filled with sweeping landscapes and famous paintings by Hopper in a creative way. This simple story telling of his life and art is a great introduction to this lesson.
Britannica Research: Edward Hopper | Realist painter, 20th century, American | Britannica
The Met: Edward Hopper (1882–1967) – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More Books for Further Reading:
