Edward Hopper and the Railroad
Great photographs help us see things in new ways, and reveal things that might otherwise remain hidden, or escape our notice. This is, of course true of all art.
Edward Hopper was an American painter who lived from 1882 until 1967. and his work has had a profound influence on the visual arts over the years. Photographers often cite him as an inspiration for their own work.
The artist Victor Burgin once said of Hopper:
“We need not look for Hopper in order to find him. We may encounter him by chance at random places where his world intersects our own. . . . To know Hopper’s work is to be predisposed to see the world in his terms, consciously or not.”
Hopper often included the railroad in his paintings, and indeed, railroad tracks feature prominently in one of his most famous paintings, “House by the Railroad.”
In this episode of the video series, “Legacies,” we explore Hopper’s work in relation to the railroad and examine close to two dozen paintings that depict some aspect of the railroad landscape. He was by no means a “railroad artist” but he was very aware of the railroad’s role in America’s culture and landscape.
As a side note, during the early years of his career, Hopper worked as a commercial illustrator, and even after becoming one of the most recognized artists of the 20th Century, he still occasionally undertook a commercial commission, as in this 1944 advertisement for ALCO locomotives, which didn’t make it into the video, but is of particular interest to railfans.
Please take a minute . . . well, nine minutes to be exact, to watch “Hopper and the Railroad.“ I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please give it a “thumbs up” and consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
Edd Fuller, Editor
Thanks for the link to the short about Hopper. I was familiar with only a few of his works. The works shown are beautiful – I am so impressed by his art! I must see if I can find prints of his works! Following the video I watched Edd Fuller’s “Rusty Rails” – the photographic equivalent of some of Hopper’s work.
Time well spent – thank you!
Jim, thanks for the kind words. Hopper has been a source of inspiration to me for many years. — Edd
Edd – not only your photographs but your accompanying words!
Well, I loved this piece. Everyone knows a few Hopper paintings but this was a revelation. Very illuminating to see his rail pictures taken together. Last sequence ‘as from a train window’ was very moving. His art makes the past timeless. Thanks for this.
Thanks, Robert. I thought I was pretty familiar with Hopper’s work, but when I started researching this project, I was surprised by the number of his paintings that had some connection to the railroad. Glad you liked it.
Thanks for the great work on Hopper and the railroads, my companion is a professional pastel painter and in our rail travels she is always busy taking photos which she will use to base her paintings upon. Railroad stations & freight houses now empty are so emotionally loaded that they speak deeply to many people: it is what trains do. Again, thank you.
Thanks. As you say, aging railroad structures seem to resonate with so many people, including, I believe, Hopper.
Thanks for sharing this information about the legendary Edward Hopper. I enjoyed your presentation. I have studied Hopper’s work for years and have never seen the 1944 ALCO illustration attributed to him. Do you have a reliable source that connects the ALCO illustration to Hopper? I understand his early background included illustration work, but by 1944, what would be his motivation to do an illustration for ALCO? By that time he’d established himself as an icon in the world of art.
Thanks!
That’s a very good question and I don’t know the answer. I do not have a single, reliable source, so I am assuming attribution by consensus. Everything I was able to find on the Alco illustration claims that Hopper is the artist, and I have seen no information to contradict this, but of course, misinformation has a way of spreading on the internet. I do know that Hopper did undertake a few commissions later in his career, but but by 1944 it is difficult to imagine what might have motivated him to undertake commercial work, which he always hated. And if this is indeed Hopper’s work, it begs the question; does the original painting still exist, and if so where?
Thanks for your response. I appreciate and you taking the time to write. I am both a big fan of Edward Hopper and railroads (as well as a railroad artist). I’m only asking about this because I have extensively studied Hopper and in all the material I’ve read, I’ve never seen that illustration attributed to him. Please understand I’m not trying to be picky here, my motivation is my intense interest in both subjects. Again, thanks for your reply.
You are not being picky at all, and your question has me wondering about this attribution. I have not been able to find anything to confirm that this work is by Hopper. As I am sure you know, after Josephine Hopper’s death, the Hopper papers were bequeathed to the Whitney Museum of American Art. I have sent an email inquiry to them asking if there is anything in their collection that could confirm that this is Hopper’s work. When (and if) I hear from them, I will post additional information. Thanks, Edd
Edd, thanks so much for engaging with me about this subject. If you find out anything about the 1944 Alco piece, I’m most interested.
Gail Levin who made a cataloque raisonné about Hopper in 1995 says this is not by Hopper. Otto Kuhler designed that train the alco dl109 and worked for the alco advertisement department as he was also an excellent artist . Did Otto Kuhler and edward Hopper Knew eachother somehow?The painting is not signed . it could be studiowork by multiple artists.But in order to make money today with this picture without paying copyright it is important that it is attributed to an artist who is more than 50 years dead . Hopper died in 1967;Hopper is 55 years dead .Otto kuhler died in 1977 , 45 years ago, not long enough.i dont find online links from before 2014 that where people say this is made by hopper , when the handmade copy websites started marketing this picture. And he has a bigger name so people will find the painting much faster when they google hopper .commercially it is better for these handmade paintingscopiers websites to link it to hopper.it is a nice cool painting very popular amongst trainlovers (who dont know necessarily a lot about painting ).. Do the hopper papers in the whitney museum mention the name of otto kuhler or alco locomotives ?
Steven, thanks for the additional information. Your explanation makes perfect sense and I am glad to know about Otto Kuhler. – Edd