“Blackhead, Monhegan” is a captivating artwork by Edward Hopper, a renowned painter known for his contributions to New Realism. Created between the years 1916 and 1919, this oil on panel painting measures 23.81 by 33.02 centimeters and falls under the genre of landscape painting. The artwork is part of the collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, New York, United States, where it is displayed for public viewing and appreciation.
The artwork presents a rugged coastal scene with a prominent headland known as Blackhead on Monhegan Island in Maine. The cliff dominates the right-hand portion of the canvas, drawing the eye with its stark vertical rise above the ocean. Earthy and fiery tones depict the rocky terrain in the foreground, where the land meets the sea, illustrating the intensity and rawness of the coastal environment. The brushwork is expressive, suggesting the texture of the rocks, the movement of the water, and the changing quality of light. Hopper’s skillful use of color and form captures the stark beauty and rough, natural elegance of the landscape. The blue hues of the ocean provide a stark contrast to the warmer tones of the land, and the composition as a whole is infused with a sense of solitary grandeur, characteristic of Hopper’s work. This piece offers viewers a moment of contemplation, drawing them into the serene yet dynamic wilderness Hopper has immortalized on the panel.
