Edward Hopper

(1882 - 1967) was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. most popularly known for his oil paintings. in both his urban and rural scenes, he describes his personal vision of modern American life. he was born in Nyack, north to New York City and he studied art at New York Institute of Art and Design. during the late 20's he travelled few times to Paris where he wanted to study the emerging art scene. however, it seems he was unaffected by the new currents in art, stating that he didn’t remember having heard of Picasso'. unlike many of his contemporaries who imitated the abstract cubist experiments, Hopper was attracted to realist art. he started to paint urban and architectural scenes, many of them in New York and Paris. however, he did some outdoor watercolors on visits to New England. by 1923, Hopper finally received some recognition of his work and he was very productive through the 30's and early 40's, producing some of his most important works. he continued to draw some other major works during the 50's and the 60's despite his health conditions.
Hopper's influence on the art world and pop culture is undeniable. his cinematic compositions and dramatic use of light and dark has made him a favorite among filmmakers. he inspired also musicians as Tom Waits who titled one of his songs Nightawake at the Diner (1975), after the painting. In 1993, Madonna named her world tour 'Girlie Show' after his painting with the same title. he also influenced writers and animators. most of his work are exposed at the Whitney Museum of American Art and MoMA in New York.