The artwork “Adam’s House” by Edward Hopper, created in 1928, is a watercolor painting that can be characterized as a cityscape within the New Realism art movement. The piece measures 40.64 x 63.5 cm and is currently housed in the Wichita Art Museum in Wichita, KS, United States.
The painting depicts a scene of suburban tranquility and isolation. At the forefront, there is a white house with distinct two-story architecture, featuring dark shutters and a frontal porch partially obscured by a tree basking in sunlight. This building is a central figure in the composition, demonstrating Hopper’s focus on the play of light and shadow—a characteristic feature of his work. The strong contrast between the brightly lit sections and the shaded areas amplifies the feeling of quietude and stillness.
In the painting, alongside the white picket fence that lines the property, stands a fire hydrant, adding a pop of color and a hint of human presence in an otherwise serene residential landscape. A telephone pole to the right, adorned with an array of wires, draws the eye upward and across the painting, leading to a panoramic view of other houses and the distant horizon.
The background shows a spread-out neighborhood with buildings and homes diminishing in size and detail as they recede into the distance under a wide expanse of sky with soft clouds. Stylistically, Hopper’s choice of sharp lines, geometrical forms, and his manner of depicting sunlight, as well as shadow, suggests the essence of the New Realism movement.
As a whole, “Adam’s House” captures a moment in time, a snapshot of American life during the period, rendered with a sense of warmth and nostalgia, yet also tinged with a solitude that is often associated with Hopper’s works. It provides a glimpse into the artist’s contemplative perspective on everyday settings and his mastery in portraying the subtle drama of light and architecture.
