What is Automat by Edward Hopper about?

Woman
Automat/Subject

The painting portrays a lone woman staring into a cup of coffee in an automat at night. The reflection of identical rows of light fixtures stretches out through the night-blackened window. Hopper’s wife, Jo, served as the model for the woman. However, Hopper altered her face to make her younger (Jo was 44 in 1927).

What is the meaning of the painting Automat?

Automat is a picture of sadness – and yet it is not a sad picture. It has the power of a great melancholy piece of music. Despite the starkness of the furnishings, the location itself does not seem wretched.

What museum has the most Edward Hopper paintings?

Whitney Museum of American Art
Edward Hopper | Whitney Museum of American Art.

How does an automat work?

A gigantic, coin-operated vending machine with row upon row of windowed compartments, resembling glass-fronted post office boxes, housed dozens of menu items. After window shopping, customers could drop a nickel into a coin slot, turn a knob, lift up the door and help themselves to their food. Instant gratification.

What does Automat mean?

—used for a cafeteria in which food is obtained especially from vending machines.

Where is the Automat painting located?

Des Moines Art Center
Automat/Locations

How many paintings did Edward Hopper do?

Edward Hopper – 182 artworks – painting.

What did Hopper say about Nighthawks?

Edward Hopper said that Nighthawks was inspired by “a restaurant on New York’s Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet,” but the image—with its carefully constructed composition and lack of narrative—has a timeless, universal quality that transcends its particular locale.

What killed the Automat?

The Decline – And Return – Of The Automat At the turn of the 20th century, the first Automats only competed with full-service restaurants, but by the century’s final decades, they were outcompeted by faster food options like takeouts and drive-thrus. The Automat’s decline came as consumer tastes changed.

When did Edward Hopper paint the automat painting?

Automat (painting) Automat is a 1927 painting by the American realist painter Edward Hopper. The painting was first displayed on Valentine’s Day 1927 at the opening of Hopper’s second solo show, at the Rehn Galleries in New York City. By April it had been sold for $1,200. The painting is today owned by the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa.

How old is the woman in Edward Hopper’s Automat?

However, Hopper altered her face to make her younger (Jo was 44 in 1927). He also altered her figure; Jo was a curvy, full-figured woman, while one critic has described the woman in the painting as “‘boyish’ (that is, flat-chested)” As is often the case in Hopper’s paintings, both the woman’s circumstances and her mood are ambiguous.

Where did Edward Hopper get his subject matter from?

Hopper derived his subject matter from two primary sources: one, the common features of American life (gas stations, motels, restaurants, theaters, railroads, and street scenes) and its inhabitants; and two, seascapes and rural landscapes.

How much did Edward Hopper sell his paintings for?

“Museum to raise up to $28M on sale of painting”. Philadelphia Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2013.