Edward Hopper's Ground Swell, an American Portrait of.
Yet it is possible to connect Hopper’s Ground Swell, an enigmatic picture of 1939, to political and cultural developments of that year. Rather than “solving” the picture, as though it were a code to be cracked, the aim of such analysis is to open the painting up—to make us see that the mystery of the work is less.Although Hopper resisted offering explanations of his paintings, the signs of impending danger here may also reference a more severe disturbance: during the time that Hopper worked on Ground Swell, from August to September 15, 1939, World War II broke out in Europe.At first glance, Ground Swell is a very serene, relaxing piece that is easy on the eye and holds traditional aesthetic value. It uses a bright colour scheme that almost tricks its audience into a false sense of security because upon closer inspection, the work reveals a deeper level of meaning and emotion.
In Ground Swell Hopper depicts three young men and a woman sailing a catboat off the Massachusetts coast. Painted in 1939, as the world teetered on the edge of war, it is a crisp, but uneasy scene of sun-rays, sea-spray and the surging promise of youth.Years later, in 1934, he and his wife built a house and studio in South Truro, Massachusetts, where he produced a number of oil paintings and watercolors manifesting his avid interest in nautical subjects. Despite its bright palette and seemingly serene subject, Ground Swell echoes the themes of loneliness and escape typical of Hopper's oeuvre.
Summary of Edward Hopper No one captured the isolation of the individual within the modern city like Edward Hopper. His imagery of figures within urban settings go well beyond their role as modern cityscapes, exposing the underbelly of the human experience.
