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States of Being

Traditional readings of Edward Hopper’s paintings as portrayals of twentieth‐century American life ignored the artist’s lifelong contention that his subjects were ”mediums” for his innermost thoughts and feelings. More recent scholarship has devoted greater attention to this personal dimension, and Gail Levin has explored Hopper’s interest in symbolist poetry, with its emphasis on subjectivity. This article argues for a more substantial connection between the powerful influence of symbolist aesthetics during his developing years and Hopper’s use of familiar reality to express ideas and sensations in highly deliberated, formally expressive compositions. The symbolist preference for metaphor and suggestion rather than explicit description, its interest in individual consciousness, and its belief in the expressive capacities of form and color imbued the climate in which Hopper matured as an artist. These values were compatible with Emerson’s writings, which Hopper read regularly; the ideas of Robert Henri, Hopper’s most important teacher; and the works of Edgar Degas, which Hopper admired deeply. Exploring these connections and the artist’s own statements offers a new vantage point on his aims and the enduring appeal of his work.