The Mansard Roof 1923

Edward Hopper made this watercolor, "The Mansard Roof," in 1923. The image reflects a uniquely American take on European architectural trends. The titular mansard roof, an import from 17th-century France, signified wealth and prestige in the United States during the late 19th century, but by the time Hopper painted this, such houses were quickly falling out of fashion. Hopper presents an ambivalent view of this fading upper-class domesticity, at once celebrating and critiquing the culture surrounding this building. Hopper invites us to consider not only the visual aspects of the painting, but the cultural values, social changes, and even the economic shifts that shape the landscape of early 20th-century America. To fully understand the significance of Hopper's "The Mansard Roof," you might explore the architectural history of the period. Researching historical photographs and real estate records could also reveal much about the building itself and the social class it once housed.