Hopper: An American Love Story

Fascinating film from Exhibition on Screen shown in cinemas on the life and work of Edward Hopper.

I'd not been to see one of these documentaries at the cinema before and must admit I went to this one as we'd heard a friend had been interviewed for it. I enjoyed the format and will keep an eye out for new titles, particularly for exhibitions abroad which I can't get to.

The film told the story of Hopper's life through his pictures with commentaries by various curators and experts including those who worked for the various Hopper museums in his former homes and studios. It paid particular attention to his relationship with his wife Josephine Nivison, looking at how she nurtured his career but partly at the expense of her own. It was nice that the film included a lot of her work.

I'm not sure all the pictures benefited from being shown in such a large format despite the fact it gave them an even more obvious cinematic quality. It showed up some of the rougher paintwork and slightly crude faces. They were not painted to be seen this large.

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