The artwork titled “The Lighthouse at Two Lights” is a celebrated creation by Edward Hopper, executed in 1929. Employing oil on canvas as his medium, Hopper crafted this piece within the aesthetic framework of New Realism. It measures 109.9 by 74.9 centimeters and falls under the landscape genre. Presently, the artwork is housed within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in New York City, New York, United States.
“The Lighthouse at Two Lights” depicts a robust and solitary lighthouse standing against a vivid blue sky. The brushstrokes Hopper uses to render the sky are expressive, with a dynamic cloud formation that appears to stretch across the scene, creating a sense of movement against the stillness of the lighthouse and buildings. The landscape consists of warm, sunlit grasses in the foreground that anchor the composition, providing a stark contrast to the lighthouse and attached keeper’s house. Shadows are strategically employed to give depth to the white surfaces of the architecture, and the lighthouse’s beacon captures attention at the painting’s apex, symbolizing guidance and watchfulness. It’s a scene imbued with tranquil isolation; a characteristic quietness of Hopper’s work that invites contemplation on the part of the viewer.
