Hopper Exhibition

Lee Shore, 1941. Oil on canvas, 71.8 x 109.2 cm
Private collection © Heirs of Josephine Hopper / 2019, ProLitteris, Zurich

I was looking forward to visiting the Hopper exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel. It was my first museum visit, post Corona lockdown, and I was happy to hear that the exhibition had been extended until 26 July.

American artist Edward Hopper is widely acknowledged as one of the most significant artists of the 20^th century. He was born in 1882 in Nyack, New York, a small town on the Hudson River. He died in 1967 at the age of 84 leaving his estate of over 3,000 artworks to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

This exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler is unique as it focuses on his landscapes which are not as well-known as his paintings of urban life in the 1920s to 60s, the most famous of these is Nighthawks, 1942.

There are 65 works in the exhibition arranged in 8 rooms. Here are some of my favourites:

Cape Cod Morning (1950)

A woman is looking out of a large bay window, her face is bathed in sunlight, she appears to be staring at something that we can’t see because it is out of the frame of the picture. Is she really looking out of the window or is she looking at/reflecting on herself? Is there some unseen danger? This is all the more relatable at the moment, she could be isolated at home. Many parallels have been drawn between her situation and our current situation due to the Corona Virus. If you’re interested in reading more on this, check out this article in The Guardian.

I was interested to find out that the woman in this painting, and all his depictions of female figures, is his wife Jo. They were both 40 when they got married. She had a creative upbringing (her father was a music teacher), was an amateur actor and also painted. They were very much opposites. She was lively and outgoing whilst he was withdrawn and notoriously taciturn.

Cape Ann Granite, 1928

It shows a rugged coastal landscape on Cape Ann (Massachusetts), with green pastures interspersed with huge granite rocks. It reminds me of the coastline and landscape of West Cornwall, where I lived for a few years before moving to Switzerland.

Lighthouse Hill, 1927

Hopper frequently depicts lighthouses, possibly because they provide a point of orientation in an otherwise limitless and constantly changing natural world. A lighthouse can become a point of reference in the vastness of the sea and the coastline.

Gas, 1940 

This painting brings together all the things that make his art so interesting. When you first look at it, the situation seems clear and obvious. But, when you look closer, you observe things such as the fact that the light is changing and it is twilight. Which contrasts with the artificial lights coming from the gas station.

Here you will find more information on the exhibiton.

There is also a tour of the exhibition by curator Ulf Küster, in English, on YouTube.

The other real treat was the collection display which is running alongside the main exhibition, called Silent Vision – Images of Calm and Quiet. Each room of the exhibition is devoted to a specific aspect of the notion of calm and quiet inviting visitors to silent vision and contemplation. This also connects them to the Hopper exhibition with its themes of solitude and contemplation. I was lucky enough to experience most of this exhibition on my own and it is hard to put into words how it made me feel. It felt like soul food, I felt calm, happy and yet excited all at the same time. Being in a room with one of Monet’s large waterlilies paintings alongside some Roni Horn sculptures (Opposites of Whites, 2006-2007) which appeared like vast containers of liquid, upon which, at certain angles, the surrounding artworks are reflected.

My other highlights were Tacita Dean – Cúmulo (2016), Hans Jean Arp -Tree of Bowls (1960) and Alberto Giacometti – Large Standing Women III (1960). More about Giacometti in a future blog post, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on social media to keep up to date with all my latest blogs and museum visits.

If you haven’t visited before take some time to explore the garden and exterior of the building. There are several large sculptures in the garden including this one by Alexander Calder.

Here you get all the information on ticket booking, how to get there etc. I recommend booking a ticket in advance as numbers are restricted due to Corona guidelines.