WHAT: “Edward Hopper”

WHEN: October 10 – January 28, 2013

WHERE: Grand Palais, Paris

WHY THIS SHOW MATTERS: The iconic American artist is seen through a French lens in this Paris show, which has been organized by Pompidou Center assistant director Didier Ottinger. Hopper spent almost a year in Paris in 1906, and returned there in 1909 and 1910. In addition to some of his greatest works — the exhibition features reowned pieces such as “Nighthawks” and “Chop Suey” — the exhibition also includes paintings by Edgar Degas and Félix Vallotton that were created during the American’s time in Paris and likely impacted his practice. Though Hopper broke with European influence upon returning to the U.S., it left a mark in his subsequent ouevre. “Hotel Room” (1931) and even the much later “Morning Sun” (1952) recall Degas’s treatment of the female figure.

The urban landscapes of Hopper’s paintings emphasize strangeness and intimacy in a way that is hypnotic. His use of a raw, white light (whether streaming from above or created by neon) gives his people and landscapes a ghostly appearance. The imbalance of hot and cold, with pale faces contrasting the warm colors of clothing and interiors, gives what would otherwise seem mundane scenes a fascinating, otherworldly quality, as evident at the Grand Palais as it is back on his home turf in the States.

To see works from “Edward Hopper” at the Grand Palais, click on the slideshow.