The artwork titled “Hotel By A Railroad,” created by Edward Hopper in 1952, is an oil on canvas piece that is a quintessential example of the New Realism art movement. With dimensions of 101.98 x 79.38 cm, it falls within the genre painting category and is part of the ‘Window’ paintings series. The painting, as of the latest information available, resides in a private collection.
In the artwork “Hotel By A Railroad,” the viewer is presented with a quiet, contemplative scene inside a hotel room that is bathed in natural light from a window. Two figures occupy the space; a woman sits in a blue armchair on the left, deeply engrossed in reading a book, her attitude one of quiet reflection or perhaps loneliness. On the right stands a man, leaning against a window sill, gazing out at the scene beyond the window with a cigarette in his hand. He exhibits a posture of contemplation or waiting, his back partially turned to the room and the woman within it. The interior is sparsely decorated, with a dresser and mirror casting shadows on the wall, enhancing the atmosphere of stillness and introspection. The depiction of light and shadow plays a significant role in setting the mood of the piece, as is characteristic of Hopper’s work, evoking emotions of solitude and the passing of time. The cool palette and geometric shapes formed by the interplay of light on the architectural elements contribute to the structured, yet melancholic, aesthetic of the scene.
