Hills South Truro

In terms of texture and form, Hills South Truro is definitely a contender for the title of Hopper's most profound and intriguing work.

The undulating hills, picked out in a palette of greens and umbre hues, dominate the painting. It is only later that the viewer's eyes are drawn to the signs of human life in the form of a small house in the foreground.

Hopper's painting style is often defined as capturing the loneliness and desolation of North American life in the first half of the twenieth century.

Whether he is painting cityscapes or lone human figures in diners late at night, it is certainly true that Hopper has a talent for creating a deep sense of isolation, pensiveness and (often) sadness with his paintings. As such, he is often described as definining the malaise of US society during this time.

Hills South Truro depicts some hills in the Cape Cod region of the US. A railroad track can just be made out next to the house. Railroad tracks, often used as a symbol of progress and adventure in North American art, here may be seen to be a symbol of desolation or loneliness.

Nevertheless, overall this is a very vibrant art work, thanks to the cerulean blue of the sky and the deep green of the hills as well as the splashes of sunlight on the grass.

The medium that Hopper used for this painting is oil on canvas. This is a very common medium for him and he tended to use oils to create a very rich and dense feel to his paintings.

Oil on canvas is also a very traditional and classic medium, and here we see Hopper giving the traditional oil painting a more modern, industrial age twist.