The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 23, 2024

Night in the Park

Night in the Park

1921
(American, 1882–1967)
© Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Catalogue raisonné: Levin pl. 80
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

To achieve the sharp contrasts in this image, Hopper not only deeply etched the copperplate but also selectively wiped the ink, leaving some sections, such as the upper border, slightly murky while wiping clean the area around the man.

Description

While George Bellows cast the park at night as a place for lovers, Edward Hopper’s park is a respite for a solitary man reading a newspaper under lamplight. Hopper used an oblique view into space in this nocturnal setting, taking advantage of the strong contrasts of light and shadow created with deeply etched lines. The composition could suggest the kind of scene one might see in a film, but a specific narrative is elusive. Instead, Hopper may have intended to evoke a feeling, sense, or memory that could differ for each viewer.
  • Ashcan School Prints and the American City, 1900-1940. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 18-December 26, 2021).
    A Lasting Impression: Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 5-September 22, 2019).
    Nocturnal Impressions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 20-May 12, 1985).
    A Golden Age of American Printmaking. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 12-April 11, 1982).
    Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland, 1969 - 1979. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 4, 1979-January 27, 1980).
  • {{cite web|title=Night in the Park|url=false|author=Edward Hopper|year=1921|access-date=23 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1975.52