During President's Day weekend, I had the chance to visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, Virginia for the special exhibition, "Edward Hopper and the American Hotel." According to the VMFA, this exhibit curated by Dr. Leo G. Mazow and Dr. Sarah G. Powers, is "the first in-depth study of hospitality settings depicted in the works of one of the most celebrated American artists." The exhibit features Hopper’s depictions of hotels, motels, tourist homes, boardinghouses, and apartment hotels but also interspersed throughout are the works of contemporary artists examining similar topics and settings from a modern perspective.
Going into the exhibition, I had only done a minimal amount of research as I wanted to go in "unspoiled." I was fascinated to see the mixture of personal correspondence and journals from Hopper and his wife combined with both his studies and final products throughout the exhibit. Works such as the iconic "Western Motel" re-created in real life brought a new perspective on Hopper's work to the casual visitor to the museum. Juxtaposed next to his studies, it was exciting to see his process for creating his vibrant, colorist scenes. Other pieces that really stood out to me during my tour through the exhibition include "South Carolina Morning," "Hotel by a Railroad" and his work for early 20th century travel magazines Hotel Management and Tavern Topics. Learning more about the artist through the different themes outlined in the exhibit was an exciting opportunity as well. For example, I was unfamiliar with the amount of time and work Hopper had completed in and about Mexico. His depiction through luminous watercolors and drawings of a bygone era in Mexico as incredible.
One unexpected surprise that I experienced walking through the exhibition was the inclusion of work by modern artists. Photographs, collages and sculptures by modern artists such as Carol Highsmith and Derrick Adams to name a few served as a delightful contrast to Hopper's more traditional depiction of the American travel experience. I was hoping to see during the exhibition comparisons to the experiences of African American's and other person's of color traveling during the time period depicted in Hopper's work as seen in Reginald Marsh's "Belmont Hotel" (also featured in the exhibition). Without knowing if this information as touched on in the optional audio tour, the references to segregation and the "Greenbook" used by many African American's to find safe harbor while traveling seemed light for example. In preparing this blog post, it was notable that the VMFA did hold special events exploring this very topic such as their community conversation in January 2020, "The Eggleston Family Legacy and The Green Book." One critique of the exhibit would be that explorations of this critical topic were not readily seen or available at first glance to the casual museum visitor.
Overall, "Edward Hopper and the American Hotel," was an incredibly assembled exhibit that showcased a wide ranging amount of Hopper's work from various points and periods during his career. I would highly encourage anyone who hasn't already to check out this exhibit at the VMFA before it closes on Febraury 23rd. For more information please visit, "https://www.vmfa.museum/exhibitions/exhibitions/edward-hopper-american-hotel/."
