Edward Hopper (1882-1967), one of the most important American painters of the twentieth century, spent nearly every summer of his long artistic career in New England. This book presents many of Hopper's finest paintings of the region and examines the crucial role New England played in Hopper's development as an artist. Carl Little is author of Paintings of Maine and is a regular contributor to Art New England and Art in America.

A delightful account of Edward Hopper's sojourns in Vermont with his wife, Jo, illustrated by the watercolors and drawings that he made there

An examination of artists and poets and the New England landscape that inspired their work.

A collection of inspiring essays by the photographer Robert Adams, who advocates the meaningfulness of art in a disillusioned society In Art Can Help, the internationally acclaimed American photographer Robert Adams offers over two dozen meditations on the purpose of art and the responsibility of the artist. In particular, Adams advocates art that evokes beauty without irony or sentimentality, art that "encourages us to gratitude and engagement, and is of both personal and civic consequence." Following an introduction, the book begins with two short essays on the works of the American painter Edward Hopper, an artist venerated by Adams. The rest of this compilation contains texts--more than half of which have never before been published--that contemplate one or two works by an individual artist. The pictures discussed are by noted photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Emmet Gowin, Dorothea Lange, Abelardo Morell, Edward Ranney, Judith Joy Ross, John Szarkowski, and Garry Winogrand. Several essays summon the words of literary figures, including Virginia Woolf and Czeslaw Milosz. Adams's voice is at once intimate and accessible, and is imbued with the accumulated wisdom of a long career devoted to making and viewing art. This eloquent and moving book champions art that fights against disillusionment and despair.

Now available again, this book is a penetrating exploration of the American realist painter Edward Hopper, who was able to capture the many moods of the nation he called home. From his images of deserted small towns and solitary figures in empty offices to his cheerfully tranquil New England landscapes, Hopper’s most famous compositions can be seen as products of a life spent observing human nature. Hopper’s images evoke an enigmatic uncertainty, which speaks to the heart of the American experience. Hopper’s talent for depicting multiple aspects of the post-war experience is the focus of this generously illustrated and engaging volume.

Published on the occasion of an exhibition on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine, July 15-Oct. 16, 2011.

Despite the fact that there is a New England of cities, factories, and an increasingly diverse ethnic population, it is the Old New England that Americans have always treasured, finding in it a kind of 'national memory bank.' This book examines images of Old New England created between 1865 and 1945, demonstrating how these images encoded the values of age and tradition to a nation facing complex cultural issues during the period.