Artwork

Untitled

Untitled, by Edward Hopper, ink, 1923
Untitled, by Edward Hopper, ink, 1923

Untitled is an ink print by Edward Hopper. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1923, this untitled etching belongs to Edward Hopper’s early forays into printmaking. Executed in a single plate, the work captures a brief, unposed encounter on a grassy slope, where figures are gathered amid wind‑tossed clothing and tangled vegetation. The sky above is rendered with minimal, faint cloud lines, emphasizing the openness of the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a small group of people—some standing, others seated—on an unkempt hillside. Their posture and the restless movement of their garments suggest a moment of quiet pause within a larger, perhaps transient, outdoor gathering. The sparse sky and the untidy grass convey a sense of solitude amid everyday activity, a recurrent theme in Hopper’s visual investigations.

Technique & Style

Hopper employed a rough, scratchy line quality typical of his etching practice, allowing the texture of grass and fabric to emerge through delicate cross‑hatching and varied pressure. The limited tonal range and the economy of line create a sense of motion in the wind while preserving the stillness of the landscape, illustrating the artist’s command of the medium’s capacity for subtle atmospheric effects.

History & Provenance

The print is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it has been held since its acquisition following the artist’s mid‑20th‑century retrospectives. It reflects Hopper’s broader engagement with American realism during the 1920s, a period when he expanded his oeuvre beyond painting to include a series of etchings that documented contemporary life and scenery.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Edward Hopper

Artist

Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Museum of Modern Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.