Edward Hopper - Artist Biography

Edward Hopper is one of the few artists to have produced a truly landmark piece of American art. His painting "Nighthawks" is one of the most recognizable (and oft-reproduced) pieces of art of the last century. Its lonely depiction of four figures in a restaurant on an anonymous city corner is difficult to forget.

The Life of Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was born in 1882 in the coastal town of Nyack, New York. Hopper spent his childhood among the shipyards of the Hudson River, and always thought he would grow up to be a naval architect. While this dream didn't pan out, Hopper nonetheless retained a fascination with the sea that is reflected in much of his work as an artist.

In 1899, Hopper entered the New York School of Art to begin his formal training as an artist. He then spent a year in Paris, returning to the United States in 1907. Hopper wasn't terribly successful with his paintings at first, and he was forced to turn to commercial work to boost his income. This was common for talented artists of the time, who were able to take advantage of new opportunities in local and national product advertising.

Hopper married fellow artist Josephine Nivision in the early 1920s, and it was around this time that his career began to take off. Within a few years, Hopper was known as one of America's foremost realist painters. Most of his major works, including "Nighthawks," can be found in our collection at PosterCheckOut.