Model Sitting

Edward Hopper’s painting, Model Sitting, manifests the cultivating allure of the female form in its natural setting.

The oil on canvas piece illustrates the realist technique Hopper favoured, illuminating his personal vision of the world that meets the eye. The piece was one of his first creations, painted in 1902 at the onset of his career.

The painting exhibits a woman covered in a grey cloth sitting on a large wooden bench. The muse is turned away from the viewer in a shy form; holding the cloth to cover her naked body.

The piece exposes that the women is the one being painted, as the outline of her naked body is composed on the canvas. The colour scheme of the piece holds a dark undertone, using shades of brown as a background to highlight the woman. Yet, the woman is covered in a cool grey-blue tone, blending her significance into the remaining dark allure of the piece.

The emotion of the piece remains melancholic, as the gloomy colours cover the painting and the women restrains her body in tension away from the viewer. As the title, Model Sitting, evidently showcases, the women is the muse of the art on the canvas, arising the question as to who she is and why her body language is disconcerted.

The painting, Model Sitting, carries the significant style of Edward Hopper, accentuating his passion for showcasing the allure of a woman. Hopper continues to paint the powerful elements of women throughout his years, such as his painting A Women In The Sun (1961).

The piece illustrates the texture of the female body naked glowing in the sun, yet still held in a background of cool colours. This common theme travels through Hopper’s work, incorporating his vision of the beauty of the female body and the dark emotions encompassed within.

While there is no background information on the piece, it seems to be a glimpse into one of Edward Hopper’s memories. The artist carried the gift of reinventing passed events into a new light, cultivating details into a beautiful work of art.