Edward Hopper: Study for Office at Night, 1940, chalk and charcoal on paper, 15 by by 19 1/2 inches. Courtesy Whitney Museum of American Art.
New insights into Edward Hopper’s well-loved paintings of everyday American life seem unlikely, until you see this illuminating exhibition of his works on paper, selected from over 2,500 drawings donated to the Whitney by his widow in the late 1960s (many are on view for the first time). Preparatory drawings for famous works like Nighthawks—and lesser-known paintings such at Office at Night and New York Movie—reveal Hopper’s deftness with chalk, graphite and charcoal as well as oil paint.