The return to figurative painting coincided with the period between the two World Wars, a period that was calmer in political terms, although not devoid of worries, such as the economic depression that began in 1929. The artistic Realism of this period featured melancholy and loneliness, elements that were always present in Hopper’s work.

The New York artist painted the lack of communication and connection between human beings, and the loneliness brought about by modern life. He often painted indoor scenes featuring women on their own.

The young woman in the hotel room is a good example of this. We see tired woman who has left her dress folded on the furniture, and her shoes in a corner. She is reading what is probably a guide book or the timetable for a train she has to catch very soon, because she hasn’t even unpacked her suitcases, which have become 20th century icons. Through the window at the back we can see the darkness of night, highlighting the sadness of the seen. The artificial light of the bedroom is placed behind her, throwing her face and arms into shadow.


(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Catalina Serrano Romero

Photo: Portrait of Edward Hopper (a) Arnold Newman, 1941. Nina and Leo Pircher. Estate of Arnold Newman