Placing My Trust in Edward Hopper’s Paintings

The joy of immersing in a world that is realer than real

I recently watched a documentary about Edward Hopper, one of my favorite painters of all time. I long to wield words the way Hopper wielded a brush: every image spare yet powerful, quiet yet evocative, and never an extraneous brushstroke on the canvas.

Hopper’s best paintings set a mood; they induce a near-hypnotic state. At the same time, they ignite a …