The artwork “Summer in the City” was created by Edward Hopper in 1949, a notable work within the New Realism movement. This oil on canvas piece measures 76 x 51 cm and is considered a genre painting. It belongs to Hopper’s series of ‘Window’ paintings and is currently held in a private collection, reflecting Hopper’s interest in the solitary urban experience and the interplay of light and shadow.
In the artwork, the scene depicts an interior space illuminated by the bright sunlight entering through an open window. A woman sits on a bed, her body turned slightly away from the viewer, engrossed in her own thoughts. The colors are muted, save for the striking red of her attire and the golden hue of the sunlight that bathes the floor. The outside world is suggested through the partial view of the adjacent buildings visible from the window. Hopper captures the stillness of the moment and the introspective mood of the figure, emphasizing a sense of isolation and the poignant beauty of the mundane. The careful attention to light and shadow, as well as the composition’s framing, are characteristic of Hopper’s evocative style, which often explores the nuanced emotional landscape of urban life.
