Edward Hopper, N.A. 1882-1967.
East Side Interior. 1922. Etching and drypoint. Levin 85. 7 7/8 x 10 (sheet 11 x 13 1/4 inches. Remnants of brown tape, top margin verso; slight mat line; otherwise good original condition. A rich impression printed on Etruria Italian cream wove paper. Signed in pencil, lower right; titled verso, lower left. Awarded the Logan Prize and Bronze Medal, Chicago Society of Etchers, 1923. Illustrated: Fine Prints of the Year, 1927; Beall, American Prints in the Library of Congress: 221; Holme, Etchings of Today; Pearson, Fifty Prints exhibited by the [American Institute of Graphic Arts] 1926; Reese, American Prize Prints of the 20th Century. Signed in pencil. Housed in a 17 x 18 1/2-inch modernist black wood frame. Price upon application.
Hopper's earliest artistic success came by way of his watercolors and etchings, rather than the oil paintings for which he is now best known. Lacking buyers for his canvases, Hopper reluctantly worked as a commercial illustrator. In 1915 he discovered etching, a medium that made economic sense (multiple prints could be sold of a single image) and also permitted the artistic freedom he craved. Hopper's etchings signal themes the artist would explore throughout his career: isolated figures, empty streets, strong contrasts between light and shadow, and the play of sunlight on architecture.
East Side Interior (1922) stands as one of Edward Hopper's most significant and accomplished prints, encapsulating the foundational motifs that would define his legendary career in oil and watercolor.
Subject Matter and Composition The etching depicts a quiet, intimate moment in a New York tenement: a young mother with a baby carriage sits paused at a sewing machine, gazing out an open window. Hopper masterfully uses harsh, dramatic sunlight streaming through the window to animate the geometric surfaces of the interior, creating heavy contrasts between deep shadow and intense light.
Connection to Hopper's Oeuvre: The Genesis of Urban Isolation: Long before his famous oil paintings like Nighthawks or Early Sunday Morning, Hopper explored the psychological weight of urban solitude in his printmaking. East Side Interior captures a palpable sense of stillness, privacy, and silent alienation within the city.
The "Window" Motif: Windows serve as a vital threshold in Hopper's art—acting as both a barrier and a connection between the private interior life of an individual and the anonymous public world outside. This piece is a prime early example of his fascination with looking into or out of domestic spaces.
Inspiration and Real-Life Memory: Hopper himself later spoke about the origins of this print, noting that it arose from memories and glimpses of rooms seen from the streets of the East Side during his walks around New York. He explicitly noted that it carried no political or social ideology regarding the poor, but was instead driven entirely by his fascination with the geometry of the interior and "simply a piece of New York, the city that interests me so much."
Critical Recognition: The print brought Hopper major acclaim early, earning him the Logan Prize and Bronze Medal from the Chicago Society of Etchers in 1923. It remains a cornerstone of his graphic output, illustrating how his brief but intensive focus on printmaking between 1915 and 1923 successfully paved the way for his mature artistic vision.
To order, to report broken links or to be placed on the email list, please contact Jane Allinson (jane@allinsongallery.com), call +1 860 429 2322. Business hours are 9:A.M. to 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
Please click here to review the
USE AND ACCEPTANCE AND PRIVACY POLICIES FOR THE ALLINSON GALLERY, INC. WEBSITE
Thank you for visiting this website.