Modern Life. Edward Hopper and His Time

American modern art at the beginning of the twentieth century has been associated in Europe with one artist in particular: Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967). Hopper’s work is characterized by empty streets and landscapes, desolate buildings and by solitary figures in an urban setting. The places depicted in his paintings continue to shape our image of America. In the spacious daylight hall of the Kunsthal, the exhibition Modern Life. Edward Hopper and His Time presents eight top works by Hopper together with over ninety master pieces from the collection of the Whitney Museum of Modern Art in New York. For the very first time ever works by Edward Hopper are shown within the context of their time, together with works by famous artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Sheeler, Man Ray, Lyonel Feininger, Grant Wood and Alfred Stieglitz. Through paintings, works on paper, sculptures and photographs the exhibition presents a splendid impression of the development of modern art in America and sheds new light on the oeuvre of Hopper.

In the Netherlands the works by Hopper’s contemporaries are relatively unknown. The exhibition Modern Life compares Edward Hopper’s work to the various movements in art that he encountered during his career: to the Ashcan School painters who surrounded Hopper’s teacher Robert Henri and drew their inspiration from day-to-day urban life; to the avant-garde movements around the Whitney Studio Club and Alfred Stieglitz’ 291 Gallery that were influenced by European movements; to the social engagement by the American Scene painters that captured the traditions of the rural areas; and to the futurist works by the Machine Age painters, who were inspired by both the industrial landscape and urban architecture.

Publication At Waanders Publishers an exhaustive catalogue in Dutch is to appear, while various additional activities will be organized. For further information go to www.kunsthal.nl

The exhibition at Kunsthal Rotterdam takes place as part of the celebration of 400 years New York (1609 – 2009). The exhibition has been compiled by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and is currently on display in the Bucerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg.

Modern Life
Edward Hopper and His Time

Künstler: Berenice Abbott, George Ault, Milton Avery, George Wesley Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Oscar Bluemner, Margaret Bourke-White, Charles Burchfield, Paul Cadmus, Ralston Crawford, John Steuart Curry, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Preston Dickinson , Arthur Dove, Elsie Driggs, Guy Pene du Bois, Walker Evans, Lyonel Feininger, William J. Glackens, Marsden Hartley, Robert Henri, Lewis Hine, Edward Hopper, Earl Horter, Walt Kuhn, Gaston Lachaise, Jacob Lawrence, Louis Lozowick , George Luks, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, John Marin, Reginald Marsh, Elie Nadelman, Georgia O´Keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Maurice Prendergast, Man Ray, Ben Shahn, Charles Sheeler, Everett Shinn, Aaron Siskind, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, Edward Steichen, Joseph Stella, Florine Stettheimer, Alfred Stieglitz, John Storrs, Paul Strand, Max Weber, Grant Wood

Stationen:
26.09.09 - 17.01.10 Kunsthal Rotterdam
09.05.09 - 16.08.09 Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg