The artwork titled “D. & R. G. Locomotive” was crafted by Edward Hopper, an artist celebrated for his involvement in the New Realism movement. Completed in the year 1925, this piece is categorized under the landscape genre, capturing the substantial presence of a locomotive within its environmental context while reflecting the artist’s characteristic realist style.
The artwork portrays a formidable steam locomotive, expressed with what appears to be watercolors that deliver a muted, yet striking, representation of the machine. The number “177” is prominently displayed on the side of the locomotive’s cabin, indicating its identification. A strong contrast is evident between the dark, solid forms of the train and the more subdued and fluidly painted sky, emphasizing the massive, grounded nature of the locomotive against the transient, airy backdrop. Shadows and light play across the train and the ground, indicating a source of light from the upper right, likely suggesting a time of day when the sun casts a clear light, but also sharp shadows.
Hopper’s attention to the nuanced interplay of color and form invites contemplation of the industrial subject matter within its broader environmental setting, which is characteristic of New Realism’s focus on the ordinary and everyday scenes with an undercurrent of expressive, often introspective emotion. The piece provides a snapshot not only of a bygone era in transportation but also of American life in the early 20th century, encapsulating a moment of industrial significance within a natural frame.
