The artwork “Summertime” by Edward Hopper, created in 1943, is an oil on canvas that exemplifies the New Realism art movement. As a genre painting, it conveys a scene from everyday life and is currently housed at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Delaware, United States.
In “Summertime,” the composition features a solitary female figure standing on a sunlit urban stoop. Her stance is casual, with one hand resting against a column and the other adjusting the brim of her straw hat, suggesting a moment of leisure or perhaps waiting. She is dressed in a light, knee-length dress, suitable for the warm weather implied by the painting’s title. The sunlight highlights her figure and casts sharp shadows from the surrounding architectural elements onto the pale walls and steps.
Edward Hopper’s skilled use of light and shadow creates a strong contrast that emphasizes the contours of the architecture and evokes a sense of stillness and isolation, which is characteristic of Hopper’s work. The woman’s presence introduces a narrative element, inviting viewers to contemplate her thoughts or the circumstances that bring her to this threshold. The empty space around the figure and the clear blue sky visible in the window reflections contribute to a pervasive sense of quietude and introspection that is central to Hopper’s exploration of modern American life.
