The Quaid Grands Augustins

Edward Hopper was known for producing paintings that reflected the mood of the twentieth century. Their notable cinematic quality influenced many Hollywood directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Todd Haynes.

Also referred to as Le Quai des Grands Augustin in French, this particular painting was produced in 1909 on an oil canvas, showing an exceptional use of colour, detail and brush strokes. The original cityscape is currently stored at the Whitney Museum.

About Edward Hopper

Considered one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, Hopper was a New York native who was born in 1882. He was raised in a relatively well-to-do family together with his sister in upper Nyack.

Hopper formalised his art training in 1899 when he enrolled for a correspondence course and later joined the New York Institute of Art and Design. He broke into prominence in the 1920s when he began to identify his unique style that was almost similar to Impressionism brought out in a Realist panache.

Other Paintings

Early Sunday Morning

Produced in 1930 the picture captures a morning scenery in New York City. It is particularly notable for Edward's unique use of light. The scene depicts a row of closed stores along the Seventh Avenue where the artist lived at the time. Also, the viewpoint emphasises lots of straight lines to bring out length and regularity of the row of houses. Long shadows across the sidewalk, cast by a fire hydrant and a barber shop's pole showing the emptiness of this time of the day- shortly after sunrise.

Office in Small City

Produced in 1953 during the emergence of the American business shortly after the war, the picture reflects the emptiness of the city and the plainness of the American life. It gives a sense of a remote office where the worker is daydreaming and isolated from the rest of the world. The window brings out the daydreaming feature.

Similar Works by Related Artists

The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso

Created in late 1903 by Pablo Picasso, the oil painting depicts an old, blind man wearing a threadbare cloak bent over his guitar, which he played in the streets of Barcelona. Impressionism and Modernism marked the time of creating the Old Guitarist picturesque; the era of Symbolism had just emerged.