Customer Reviews

Silent Theater: The Art of Edward Hopper

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The author, Walter Wells brings this art and this artist (Edward Hopper) into an almost molecular intimacy. People who like Hopper (usually fiercly) are commonly aware that Hopper was more or less an unfriendly cuss...but his stark, dark, flat,impoverished, humorless, and altogether fascinating works prevail upon us... so we need to know more. Here it is, in (250 plus)very large pages! The most popular of Hopper's paintings have kept many of us more than curious, willing to seek and hang his abundantly available prints, because his subjects and style create mystery, tension, the wonderment of a story...untold. (Hence the title "Silent Theatre") World renown and celebrated works, "Railroad Sunset", "Early Sunday Morning" and "Nighthawks"--or "High Noon". are all inside; discussed, compared, associated and dissected. The book begins with with a charming introduction concerned with Hopper's childhood and youth; his affinity for theatre and literature. From there,the author takes us into a grand array of about 175 paintings, and many etchings, (and relate works by other artists), divided into 15 genres of Hopper's craft and psyche. It is this organization that brings us into what I think is a masterful, beautifully written, account of the Man... his loves, his life, his work -- early, middle and late. How do I say it? --The book "stays after" Hopper, and gets into each painting in granular detail. ( I won't finish it for weeks, or...months. It is vast and thorough...and one can open it anywhere and spend an enjoyable few minutes..or an hour!

As a long-time admirer of the paintings of Edward Hopper, I was delighted to discover Walter Wells' new book, Silent Theater (Phaedon), a large-format compendium of Hopper's work with a wealth of large color illustrations of the major works and detailed textual commentary that is both scholarly and readable, that is informative, stylistically graceful, and blessedly free both of academic and postmodern jargon. The size of the book places it in what ordinarily goes by the name "coffee table" book, but this is far more than what that rubric, or other such volumes, suggests. Professor Wells' comprehensive and detailed text interprets (often quite originally) and in detail the major works and places the discussion of Hopper's art in the broad contexts of modernism and urban society and culture in the early half of the twentieth century as well as the psychological (e.g., Jung and Freud) and literary forces that influenced Hopper and provided the intellectual and artistic arenas in which he worked. The title suggests both the silence which is so much a part of his work--aloneness, loneliness, and alienation--and the narrative quality of his work which engages the viewer in an active role of reading meaning into the images, whose implications so often go beyond the edge of the canvas. This is a splendid work (at a reasonable price) and a welcome addition to the work that has been done on Hopper, one of America's most original and engaging artists.

This book studies the art of Edward Hopper through its various influences: the influence of literature and the influence of the artist's mood and psyche, at the different periods of his life. Beyond the mere statement that his was an art of silence, the author manages to dig deeper and shows us how nothing in Hopper's works, whether paintings or etchings, was left to chance. The many top-quality illustrations add to the overall value of this book which is, in my opinion, one of the best available on the artist (along with the catalogue for the 2007 retrospective which also is a must-have).

Professor Wells and I were colleagues in a university English Department. Over the years we've had spirited disagreements on many topics and reached sweet harmony on at least as many. When I saw his text in manuscript, I expressed some reservations about his reliance on Jungian ideas.
He brings to bear on his subject a superior intelligence and a lucid prose style that in itself adds aesthetic value to reprints of Hopper's work. In my judgment, clarity of thought and expression is the foundation of all good criticism. This book contains no jargon, pretension, or transgressive chic of the sort that has become commonplace in criticism of all the arts. The text invites the reader into a conversation with it and even provokes cavil, both also hallmarks of good criticism, since without them no serious intellectual work can take place. Its range extends beyond art as such, and offers sources from which additional information, always relevant, can be gleaned.
Like all good critics, Professor Wells transcends his own framework ( Jungian ) in his interpretation and judgment of Hopper's work. His commentary achieves cogency on its own merits and will affect how readers see what Hopper is dong and has achieved, even if readers do not see the work in exactly the same way. That accomplishment is the main business of serious criticism.
There are many reasons to buy this book. It's instructive, and the author is pleasant company. It will repay reading and rereading.

On behalf of my editorial team, I would like publicly to thank the selection committee for awarding the 2009 Umhoefer Prize for Achievement in the Arts and Humanities to the author and editors of SILENT THEATER: THE ART OF EDWARD HOPPER, a volume that has aimed, from the outset, to offer the most definitive analyses yet available of this influential American artist and his work. ---WW

I agree with all the positive comments by other reviewers. A solid, detailed and scholarly work that reproduces good prints of Hopper's art. It is well written and has some interesting readings of Hopper's paintings.

On a completely personal note: one thing which disappointed me slightly was Wells' tendency to read a lot of the paintings from a Freudian/Jungian angle. This is a tendency not only of Wells, but (it seems to me) a vast number of art critics.

I found it really hard to put this book down.

Hopper's finest works reproduced on large pages matched with Mr.Wells' beautifully written analysis make this a MUST HAVE for any fan of American Art or Art in general.

Yes,the conclusions and analysis here are that of one man.However,never does Mr.Wells' opinions come across as arrogant nor does he attempt to have the "final say" on Hopper's work.He helps his case and credibility by citing countless preceding works/letters/critiques/etc.Wells assists us in seeing Hopper's work in new ways and in noticing subtle details we never saw the first time.

Archetypes,Sexuality,Dreams,and Freud are just some of the topics discussed here.Wells does a superb job of
relating these ideas to Hopper's work without taking embarrassing leaps or going on bizarre tangents.It's precise,honest and borderline revelatory.

Hopper is one of the finest artists in American history and this book is simply a tool to help us appreciate his work so much more.

A very thorough and thoughtful presentation of Edward Hopper's life and work. SILENT THEATER explores the significant themes that work in and through his paintings with great clarity.

Walter Wells has been a friend of mine for 45 years. His intellect and insight elevates his subject matter as well as his friendships. Anyone who buys and reads this book will both enjoy it and be enriched by it for years to come. Ann Orr

This book presents misinformation that will confuse anyone seriously interested in the subject. Much of what it offers is not new and has appeared elsewhere previously. The reproductions are the book's best feature.