Art In Action: Pets By Painters, Part Five
By DARLA MCCAMMON
Lakeland Arts Association
WARSAW — This week we meet a beautiful Collie painted on Cape Cod. Edward Hopper, the artist, and his wife spent a great deal of time in this tranquil place. The work Hopper did at Cape Cod was quite a juxtaposition compared to Hopper’s cityscapes with forbidding factories and busy streets. You can view this 1939 painting titled Cape Code Evening, pictured right, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Hopper was born to a wealthy merchant family in Upper Nyack, New York, an area known for building graceful yachts. Living near the Hudson River, Hopper was fascinated both with the beauty of that area as well as the bustling city of New York south of his home.
Hopper showed an inclination for art at five years of age and attended private schools with his siblings. His parents encouraged him in art and provided him an education as well as ample materials for his work. His first art class was done by correspondence in 1899. Later he attended the New York School of Art and Design. He worked in pen and ink, watercolor, and produced the majority of his work in oil. Later in life he also had success in etchings. He was not an overnight success, but built his income and achievements in art gradually.
The Victorian home in the background represents the reputation Hopper had throughout his life as a realist. He worked as an illustrator for many years and stayed true to his love of depicting things that were recognizable rather than experimentation with cubism or abstract concepts. The Victorian home in the background of Cape Code Evening represents the reputation Hopper maintained throughout his life in his devotion to realism. His birthplace is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is a good place to visit with many cultural events and exhibits taking place there.
Hopper died in 1967. Three thousand of his works were donated to various museums by his devoted wife. The closest to Indiana would be work held at the Art Institute of Chicago. A famous quote by Hopper reads: “If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”
The collie is the 37th most popular dog breed. “Lassie” is well-known for her devotion to her owner, her graceful bearing, and her sturdiness. Collies are herding dogs and need a moderate amount of exercise. They have an average life span of twelve years.
Upcoming and Current Events:
Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery Grace College Student work on display. Open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm.
Wagon Wheel Lobby Gallery, Andrew Tomasik exhibit. Open any time the lobby is open except during performances. Ticket holders to performances will be able to visit the gallery as well for free.
For more information on topics in this column, please contact Darla McCammon at [email protected] or (574) 527-4044. Website: www.darlamc.com – some older columns are available on this site along with information about Art and Author work.