Whitney: Hopper Drawing

There are times, after having been surrounded and jostled for hours by NYC's crowds, when one finds himself walking alone through a desolate Manhattan neighborhood where no other passersby are to be seen. At such odd moments, one experiences a palpable sense of apprehension.  There's something not right in suddenly finding oneself alone in a city of millions.  It's this feeling of unexpected loneliness in the heart a big city that informs Edward Hopper's best paintings and gives to them an aspect of desperation reminiscent of film noir.

The current exhibit, Hopper Drawing, at the Whitney is ironically dominated by the paintings for which many of the drawings are studies.  Nighthawks (1942) is on display as are Manhattan Bridge Loop (1928) and From Williamsburg Bridge (1928).  In both the latter paintings, it is the single solitary figure contained within them that give them their pathos.  But these figures are not to be found in the preparatory sketches.  It was only when Hopper added the figures to the final paintings that he brought the scenes to life and made them heartbreakingly real.

Another famous painting shown is New York Movie (1939) with its focus on the female usher standing to the side and lost in reflection while the patrons, seen only dimly from behind, are absorbed in the movie playing onscreen.  What is surprising here is the unusually large number of sketches Hopper executed before moving on to the painting itself.  He completed 52 drawings for this work including a number of life studies of Jo Hopper in the role of the usher.

Other paintings shown are Conference at Night (1949) and Office at Night (1940).  It's interesting that Hopper claimed to have gotten the idea for the latter painting while riding the "el" and glancing through the office windows he passed.  This accounts for the unusual point of view in which the artist actually looks down into the office scene he is recreating.

Although there are a number of female nudes on display, including the painting Morning in a City (1944), the only one which really comes alive for the viewer is the chalk on paper drawing of Jo Hopper Reclining on a Couch (1925 - 1930).  This one is filled with life and spontaneity while the others all seem stiff and academic.

There are other paintings, such as Gas and Rooms for Tourists, that are set outside the city. But these lack the impact and immediacy of Hopper's NYC works.  His painting Soir Bleu, a souvenir of a youthful visit to Paris, seems contrived; and the drawings he made during this same visit, while technically accomplished in their draftsmanship, are slick student exercises with the exception of one of a shifty street character entitled Un Manquereau.

The exhibit continues through October 6, 2013.