Soir Bleu 1914

This is Edward Hopper's 'Soir Bleu', it's an oil on canvas, and there's something melancholic about the way he's daubed on the blues and greys. Look at the surface, it's built up in layers, not so much impasto, but a density of feeling. It's like Hopper worked and reworked this painting as a process of thinking through his response to the scene. And what a scene, a Parisian cafe, but not like any impressionist party – the mood is subdued, isolated even. My eye keeps going to the clown, slumped in his chair, cigarette dangling from his lips. There's something about his blank expression, the stark white makeup, that speaks to a deeper sense of alienation. Hopper’s brushstrokes around the figure are thick, almost sculptural, conveying the weight of his presence, but there are so many intriguing details. It feels a bit like a stage set for a play about modern life, it reminds me of some of the more theatrical scenes you get in early Picasso. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art isn't about answers, but about opening up spaces for questioning.