Hopper

Saw the large Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery last Monday, after trying on Friday and failing. (They need more parking on the Mall). The exhibit, although crowded, was really good. It is always interesting in large exhibits that include a wide time period of an artist's work to see how it changed over time. Hopper went from doing intense etchings and watercolors of mostly architectural and city themes, to larger oil paintings that seem to always catch people in pregnant pauses, letting you wonder what is going on, like reading just a paragraph in the middle of a short story. I don't want to sound like all the annoying people at the gallery giving their mostly uninformed and occasionally really stupid comments on the work, so I will just say it was really cool and made me appreciate being so close to some really big museums. (Is it me or do the stupidest people always talk the loudest?) After seeing all of his work, much of which includes just one or two people seen through a window, or in a private moment, the last painting in the show, just light coming through the window of an empty room, painted right near the end of his life, was very powerful. I don't know if the exhibit is traveling but if you get a chance I suggest you see it. (It's already closed in DC)