Bell Tower 1923

Edward Hopper made this watercolour painting, Bell Tower, with paper and brush. See how the colours are washed in, one over the other? A bit like life. The way Hopper works with watercolour is so direct. It's all about what happens as the paint dries, the blooms and bleeds, the happy accidents that become the picture. Look at the white space around the buildings. See how it's not just empty, but full of light. Like a stage set, Hopper has created a space full of potential for drama or silence. I'm thinking especially about that long, dark shadow that falls across the side of the building on the left. Hopper is a master of light and shadow. He can make the most ordinary things seem mysterious, even ominous. Hopper reminds me a little bit of Giorgio Morandi, who could turn a collection of bottles into a world of contemplation. Art is all about seeing, thinking, and feeling in new ways, isn’t it?