Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Edward Hopper in Paris

Friday January 4, 2013 Hopper-esque thumbnails

I wasn't sure I wanted to see the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Grand Palais with waits up to 4 hours.But I bought a ticket anyway to see what the whoopla was about.

Paintings done during his three stays in Paris in 1906, 1909 and 1910 were full of Paris greys and grey bleus.

They're rarely on view and I ate them up

Then went out the following day searching for similar settings like the Pavilion de Flore.

Notre Dame was often a subject for Hopper before he turned his eye on Maine lighthouses and farm sheds. Hopper's work was deeply influenced by French Albert Marquet, Felix Vallotton, Degas. It's an exceptional treat to see these artists in the same room with Hopper.

Another huge influence was 19th century photographer Eugene Atget of Paris monuments.

Moody and abstract in design

They left a lasting impression on Hopper.

Not included in the Grand Palais exhibit (but I wish they were) these ledger book thumbnail croquis drawings Hopper made after paintings were completed as a record of what sold at what price and what size. His wife Josephine filled in the written info to keep track of every single painting - she was the administrator behind the scenes. A French facsimile is out of the ledger and available on Amazon.fr, Edward Hopper, De l'oeuvre au croquis.

After the exhibit I wandered over to the Christmas marche on the Champs-Elysees. Doesn't this caneles-maker look a good model for Hopper? The Dog of the day was this saucisson smothered in grilled onions on a baguette with moutarde (6 euros). An appropriate snack after the Hopper expo in my opinion.

36 comments:

  1. I absolutely loved this retrospective of Hopper's work...including his magazine illustrations.

    I can't believe you didn't get caught snapping those photos in the exhibit! You are a much more daring woman than I!

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    1. I got my stealth training reading Cold War thrillers...they served me well

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  2. Lucinda8:20 AM

    Merci for taking us along!
    The dog looks delish and the caneles made on the spot! Maim

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  3. Anonymous8:41 AM

    How about giving us a Paris version of Nighthawks?.

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  4. Love your take on Hopper..as I am shy to admit I had never heard of him..
    Thanks to you now I do..Your journal pages are so dear!

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    1. Hopper is receiving a great reception in Paris!
      Who knew..maybe the French find him existential?

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  5. I´ve been to the (rather crowded) Hopper exhibition in December. I have to admit that I didn´t know his early work and that he didn´t sell any work for 12 long years!!

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  6. Your journal pages great addition. Interesting to know he was also a business man and wife in addition to his artist soul.

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  7. I never heard of Edward Hopper but I will look him up online. I enjoyed this post and I love art.

    You have a really lovely blog.

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  8. I was hopping mad I couldn't get to this I had a ticket and my back went and haven't had the chance since. So thanks, Carol, for sharing this. I heard there weren't that many paintings but it does look worth the wait!

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    1. I bot a grand palais pass Jill. You can borrow my red glasses and scarf and give it a go. My photo is on the pass..

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  9. Carol! Your"caneles-maker" is pure Hopper!!!! You should paint her!
    Connie*

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  10. You lucky! I've tried now to get into this twice. The first time it hadn't yet arrived, and the second, it was closed between Christmas and New Year's. Your photos remind me of the Caillebotte exhibit at the Schirn in Frankfurt. They did a great job of integrating period photos with the paintings, including a lot of Atget!

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    1. yes Julie at the Hopper show too there were slide and video shows of related material. Not just paintings on the wall.

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  11. Great sketches, your opening one and Hopper's.
    I love his work, but I've never seen these Paris ones, great! (And I love the sandwich!)

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  12. oh god! these posts! these cakes! these pictures! raid-patisserie! (hopper-and-atget! my great loves!)

    just what i need! the g. saunders quote says it all and more.

    out to walk off the extra pounds already achieved over xmas........

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    1. Oui I too have achieved extra pounds over the holiday...
      What a positive way to look at it MP!

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  13. I was lucky enough to see a Hopper exhibit years ago in Newport Beach CAL. I loved his work. I don't recall any Paris scenes tho. Fun to see these and your journal page.

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  14. Anonymous1:17 PM

    I LOVE your "Dog of the Day" . (pun) Also wish I could get over there to see the Hopper show. Still Paris dreaming. Love your sketches! merci~

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  15. I too didn't know what a Francophile Hopper was Cris. His work was very influenced by Paris

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  16. Sorry I missed the show, but did see a very informative video on Air France about Hopper and his artist wife Jo,....... well worth the admission.....Also saw a sign on a bakery window saying "No Photos Please" I smiled and said "Ah! I walk in the footsteps of Madame Carol Gillott"

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    1. They were playing that video nonstop in the museum giftshop Maryanne.
      Josaphine Hopper did not come off in a good light. She ruled the roost it seems...

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  17. Am going to see this exhibition on Friday!! CANNNNNNOT WAIT! :)

    Milsters


    (http://www.littlepiecesoflight.com/)

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  18. Carol, when I think of Hopper exhibits after all these years in New York, I immediately think of all the Whitney exhibits. How could there be more Hopper to experience?

    And so, dear Carol, merci beaucoups for visiting this Parisian exhibit, and then...even better, seeking out Hopper's views and sharing them with us. Truly, this is so very wonderful to see.

    When you do eventually return to NYC (if indeed you do) I so want to get together with you and find out more about planning a Parisian stay. You are showing us that Janvier can be a marvelous month.

    Best wishes to you and Bear. xo

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  19. Anonymous8:20 PM

    Love, love, love Edward Hopper. Check out "Nighthawks" and his later work, as these Paris paintings don't seem to have the color and emotion that his later work has.

    Donna

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  20. Anonymous8:30 PM

    Thank You for the info in your post today about the Edward Hopper show. My interest in him has centered on his prints particularly those in US cities, so I was not aware of the time he spent in Paris. I’ll have to find a good bio and read it to learn more about him. While his oils and watercolors are stunning, for me at least, his prints are the real gems. He and Martin Lewis have the capacity to use black and white in an almost magical way. Many thanks for the info on the book of his thumbnails; I’m going to see if I can find it on Amazon

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  21. Anonymous8:42 PM

    Wanted to let you know about one of the best Hopper sites in Paris: 48, rue de Lille a block or two form the Musee d’Orsay. Hopper lived here for some time and three of his paintings of the building are attached. It was a Baptist church at the time Hopper stayed there with apartments and storefronts to supplement the income.

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  22. From Notre Dame to Maine...quite an artistic transition.

    Kind of like your transition from pastries to French hot dogs...

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    1. Gawd it was yummy!
      But don't forget New York hot dogs have always had a place on PB !!

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  23. Hopper is very popular here & our Portland museum features his Maine paintings often. But these Paris paintings & then his diner paintings seem quite different. As you know, I longed to see the Paris exhibit...Once again, I adore your sketch & thanks so much for sharing his ledger page. As far as that sandwich: it is for one far heartier than I!!

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  24. You definitely have Hopper's eye re: the hot dog place! So nice they let you photograph his works!

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    1. So nice of you to let us see a picture of yourself Jeanette...not some rabbit!

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  25. Oh, I realized I've been missing my daily "Paris Breakfast Fix" since I moved and changed e-mails! Getting caught up on posts - "une veritable" banquet for the soul!

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  26. Amazing -- I've never seen Hopper's Paris pictures. What a treat!

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  27. I had no idea that Hopper had done any work in Paris, although I only discovered him last year from Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing.

    http://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/lost-thing.html

    Extraordinary that it is so popular and the queues so long! I don't imagine it will still be on in June/July.

    We just had a large Eugene Atget exhibition in Sydney a few months ago, I hadn't seen his work before then. It was lovely to see.

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  28. Wish I was in Paris to view the Hopper Exhibit!!! I was on Paris last Sept and stayed at the Quai Voltaire. Hopper stayed at the Hotel Lilli, just around the Rue de Bac. He painted the bridge and ladies at "The Wine Shop" (I have heard it called)
    Last Oct, Bowdoin College. in Brunswick Maine, held a "Hopper in Maine" retrospective. Oil paintings from many private collections and museums were included along with many small, seldom seen oils which the college owns. The town was even decorated with a Hopper lighthouse printed on banners and handing from many light posts. I am glad to hear of the reception the Parisians gave him!! He well deserves it! Thanks for the post and info!

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