My Dear Mr. Hopper

by Elizabeth Thompson Colleary (Editor)

Edward Hopper (1882–1967), long recognized as the premier 20th-century American realist painter, was famously introverted and reclusive. He rarely spoke about his personal life, and his close friends were few and love interests fewer. Until now, there have been only two known romantic pursuits prior to Hopper’s marriage to Josephine Nivison in 1924: a brief relationship in Paris with an English girl in 1906–7 and another spanning several years with an older French woman beginning in New York in 1915. The discovery of fifty-eight previously unknown letters and one note from Alta Hilsdale (1884–1948) to Hopper brings to light a previously unknown romantic relationship. Hilsdale, who was from Minnesota and spent time in New York and Paris, sent letters to Hopper at various home and studio addresses during the course of ten years. Reverend Arthayer Sanborn, a close friend of Edward and Josephine Hopper, discovered the letters in Hopper’s childhood home in Nyack, New York, after the artist’s death. Fewer than ten people have had the opportunity to read these letters, and they are published in their entirety for the first time in My Dear Mr. Hopper .

Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art

94 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2013

Reviews

[Tom Akins · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great premise but no meat to the letters. Each very much the same, some only several sentences long. Deserving of a much shorter treatment.

[Irene Mendoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se trata de una recopilación de cartas hasta la fecha no conocidas que mandó el pintor Hopper a una de sus primeras parejas/novias. No sé conoce en concreto por qué Hopper nunca habló de esta mujer con la cual se supone que tuvo una relación. Él guardó estas cartas en la casa de sus padres hasta que tras su fallecimiento y tiempo posterior se encontraron y al comprender que estaban muy bien escondidas, se supuso que para el autor tuvieron mucha relevancia.
El estudio preliminar está bien, lo que falla es el contenido de las cartas, en muchas ocasiones se trata de un simple: "Al final, no puedo quedar, ¿nos podríamos ver el día X?, aunque también se guardan varias cartas que parece decepcionaron al pintor, así como una nota en mal estado, pero en donde Hopper no sale muy bien parado.

[Freddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2: In terms of content, these letters are hardly remarkable; they’re usually engaging and spirited though, serving as lively artifacts of a distant past. Occasionally, when referencing Hopper’s responses, Hilsdale offers fascinating glimpses into the painter’s mysterious personality. Alas, he remains in the shadows. It’s still not clear whether their relationship went beyond the Platonic. Undoubtedly, Hopper wished for more. One can only hope that his letters to Hilsdale turn up at some point. This collection reminded me about the perils prevalent when using artists’ lives to interpret their work. Elizabeth Colleary’s introduction’s excellent, offering valuable context.

[Elisa Pierandrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una raccolta epistolare che porta all'attenzione del grande pubblico una vicenda curiosa e poco conosciuta.

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit prejudice as I heard of this book and a family connection.