Thursday, September 25, 2014

FAME BY ASSOCIATION

MARRYING INTO THE HOPPER FAMILY

Who is Edward Hopper?


Who is Carol Hopper?



Carol (that's me) married into the famous Hopper family.  I didn't even have to bribe anyone for entrance.  They needed me, because I am an artist.

How are Edward and Carol linked?

Willem Hopper is our genealogy link. This great man was born in the Netherlands in 1596 and died in 1626.  It is really difficult for me to comprehend how long ago that was.  That was prior to the Pilgrims, prior to New York even being called New Amsterdam when it was a Dutch Trading Post.  Willem was born 208 years before Lewis and Clark departed on the first expedition to explore the western portion of the United States!  Willem came before many explorers came to the United States and unfortunately I don't know when he arrived nor why.  I can only guess that he probably signed on to an expedition to the "new country" as a teenager as Holland was a major explorer of the New World, hoping to gain new land.  It is possible Willem died in the New York area but I don't know that either.
Willem was the First Generation of Hoppers.

Fast forward past the second generation to the Third generation and Hendrick Hopper was born January 9 of 1655 or 1656 in Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey.  Hendrick is the great, great, great, great grandfather of artist, Edward Garrett Hopper, Ninth Generation of Hoppers.  

Edward Hopper  is one of the best known painters of the 20th century American genre and landscape.  He was born in Nyack, New York on July 22, 1922 one of two children.  His family was solidly middle class; his father, Garrett Henry Hopper owned a dry goods store where young Edward sometimes worked after school.
Perhaps you already know Edward was especially known for his paintings of interiors with isolated figures, for rural landscapes and marine scenes.  During much of his career, he lived half of the year in Greenwich Village, New York in a row house facing Washington Square and the other half of the year near Truo, MA on water with a view toward Provincetown.

New York Movie by Edward Hopper

Automat by Edward Hopper

Nighthawks by Edward Hopper


I married into the 12th generation of Hoppers.
Our great, great, great....you count the number of greats...grandfather is indeed one and the same
Willem Hopper.  My husband's grandfather James Calhoun Hopper had a general store, just as Edward's father had a dry goods store.

EDWARD AND I ARE ALSO LINKED THROUGH ART.

Edward first came to Maine in 1914.  Around 1914 Monhegan Island began to firmly establish itself as an Artist Colony.  Beginning in 1916 Edward Hopper painted Monhegan Island, Maine for four consecutive summers, concentrating primarily on distinctive rock formations such as Blackhead and Gull Rock.

Blackhead by Edward Hopper

Gull Rock by Edward Hopper

I too love Maine and this summer painted Monhegan Island.

Andrew Wyeth House, Monhegan by Carol Hopper

Edward and I both love the work of Andrew Wyeth.  Andrew Wyeth and Edward were contemporaries and were fond of one another's work.
 Andrew Wyeth spent summers in Maine for most of his life.

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth
Christina Olson had a disability and is painted crawling home from the Olson family cemetery.


My pen and ink sketch of the Olson House

Well, I guess there are many dissimilarities as well
 I am nowhere near the painter Edward was and I am not famous, not even a little.  Edward made his living as a painter.  I only WISH I made a living as a painter.  Edward lived near the water.  I live near cactus and sage.  Edward was formally trained as artist. I have informally studied with many wonderful artists.

But for sure we both have traveled to 
Europe
 a number of times to paint.

I live with Edward Hopper every day because I chose to paint a legal copy, not for sale of
 "Portland Head Light"
by Carol Hopper after Edward Hopper



14 comments:

  1. Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing. You've captured the light in the lighthouse painting beautifully.

    Edward Hopper was a talented painter, but some of his paintings make me feel sad as they seem to be about loneliness.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with your assessment of Edward Hopper's work. Many of the interior scenes seem dark in several ways.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Carol it is fascinating to follow the genealogical linkage. Thank you for sharing your wonderful research and history. I too love how you captured the light on the lighthouse. Hopper's work is so accessible to people, I think his ability to capture mood and light has always been a drawing point for his work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mood is so important in our paintings. I forget about it too often because I am focused on light.

      Delete
  4. Hi Carol, Lovely story. Yes, I am a fan of yours as well as Edward Hopper. Thanks for sharing. The darkness in some of his work does convey beautifully what he is trying to say.
    Your work however is always gay and colorful…I love your use of color!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind comment Rita. I am about to embark on a big project of studio painting in France AND another group of paintings of Maine.

      Delete
  5. PS: Whenever I send you an email thank you for a comment it says that it is returned to me as unforwardable. Please know I appreciate each and every comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Susan. I have never understood technology. The fix is probably simple but eludes us both completely.

      Delete
  6. fascinating! (My h read a book about Hopper and told me not to read it, so as to not burst my bubble--I guess Hopper was sort of a tough guy to like) anyway..he certainly was a great painter. Love your house and sketch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My feeling is that he was a bit of a crank. I might like the guy myself....sometimes typical of family, uh? He had so much going for him as a child....wonderful parents.

      Delete
  7. Thanks for sharing your history with us Carol. Very interesting, and IMPRESSIVE! I love your painting,beautiful! Terrific light, but then, you are so good with that :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks Sheila. I enjoyed your blog hop post. I tried to find a way to ask YOU but you then found you had already been asked.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am a follower of you both, thought I know Edward has nothing new to follow. Love his Automat painting...always have. Fun post Carol! I hope you get your house in Maine some day. Keep painting, you're good at it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. House in Maine, really a cottage is plenty. But I can't see through to it yet...waiting for direction. Thanks for your comments Lisa. I appreciate you!

      Delete

Awwwww thanks for writing to me. You know I love your messages!