Edward Hopper and Harlem

The Whitney Museum has opened an exhibition of the work of Edward Hopper – the famed mid-century American artist who created a number of iconic images of the alienation in urban life.

Hopper also created a two-page drawing of the Macombs Dam Bridge (155th Street) that now connects Sugar Hill to Yankee Stadium.

In the 1850’s, a century before Hopper illustrated the scene, you can see in the drawing (below) that the structure was truly a combination dam and bridge.

Hopper’s drawing (below) from the 1930’s shows the bridge structure pretty much as it stands today, with no Yankee Stadium or much development on the hill on the Bronx side of the Harlem River

A contemporary photograph shows how faithful Hopper’s sketch was.

“As New York bounces back after two challenging years of global pandemic, this exhibition reconsiders the life and work of Edward Hopper, serves as a barometer of our times, and introduces a new generation of audiences to Hopper’s work by a new generation of scholars. This exhibition offers fresh perspectives and radical new insights.”

Hopper’s relationship with Whitney began in 1920 when he had his first solo exhibition at the Whitney Studio Club, which closed in 1928 to make way for the Whitney Museum of American Art. Hopper’s work first appeared in the inaugural Whitney Biennial in 1932 and in 29 Biennials and Annuals through 1965, according to the museum. In 1968, Hopper’s widow, artist Josephine Nivison Hopper, bequeathed the entirety of his collection to the museum, which today is home to more than 3,100 works by the artist.

Edward Hopper’s New York will be on view from October 19, 2022, through March 5, 2023.

Calvary Church – 1908

A view of the Calvary M. E. Church on a 1908 postcard (at the corner of W. 129/ACP):

And today:


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