“The City,” an artwork by Edward Hopper created in 1927, employs oil on canvas as its medium. Measuring 93.98 by 69.85 cm, this cityscape painting embodies the New Realism art movement and is currently held in a private collection.
The artwork presents a bird’s eye view of urban architecture and a street scene likely depicting an American city in the 1920s. We see a prominent building in the foreground with ornate detailing that captures the viewer’s attention. Its architectural style is indicative of the period, with arched windows and embellished facades. The color palette is dominated by earthy tones and muted colors, which add a sense of realism and perhaps suggests the mood of the epoch or the time of day. There are figures visible on the street below, small in scale and nondescript, adding life to the scene while also highlighting the emptiness and spaciousness of the urbanscape.
The arrangement of buildings gives an impression of depth, as the buildings recede into the distance, culminating in a hazy skyline that suggests fog or industrial smoke. The vantage point suggests a sense of isolation and detachment, common themes in Hopper’s work, contrasting the architecture’s public nature with the private, introspective feeling one may experience within such a space. It is a poignant encapsulation of urban life during the early 20th century, offering both a celebration of architectural progress and a contemplation of the individual’s place within the grandeur of the city.