Josephine Hopper
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Josephine Verstille Hopper (née Nivison; March 18, 1883 – March 6, 1968) was an American painter who studied under
Robert Henri Robert Henri (; June 24, 1865 – July 12, 1929) was an American painter and teacher. As a young man, he studied in Paris, where he identified strongly with the Impressionists, and determined to lead an even more dramatic revolt against A ...
and
Kenneth Hayes Miller Kenneth Hayes Miller (March 11, 1876 – January 1, 1952) was an American painter, printmaker, and teacher. Career Born in Oneida, New York, he studied at the Art Students League of New York with Kenyon Cox, Henry Siddons Mowbray and with Willi ...
, and won the Huntington Hartford Foundation fellowship. She was the wife of
Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...
, whom she married in 1924.


Life and career

Born in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
to Eldorado Nivison, a pianist and music teacher, and Mary Ann Nivison (née McGrath), Josephine was the second-born child, but her elder sibling had died in childhood sometime after 1883. Her younger brother Charles was born in 1884. Later in life she recounted that her father had practically no paternal instincts, and the family's existence was always troubled. The Nivisons moved frequently, although remaining in New York City. In 1900, Jo enrolled in the Normal College of the City of New York (now
Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also admi ...
), a free teacher-training school for young women. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904 and decided to study art and eventually try to become an artist—already at college she started drawing and performing in productions of the drama club there. In late 1905 at the New York School of Art she met
Robert Henri Robert Henri (; June 24, 1865 – July 12, 1929) was an American painter and teacher. As a young man, he studied in Paris, where he identified strongly with the Impressionists, and determined to lead an even more dramatic revolt against A ...
, who soon asked her to pose for a portrait (''The Art Student'', 1906). In February 1906, Nivison began her career as public school teacher. During the next decade she earned her living by teaching, but never abandoned art and remained in touch with Henri and many other artists; in 1907 she travelled to Europe with Henri and some of his students. By 1915, she joined the
Washington Square Players The Washington Square Players (WSP) was a theatre troupe and production company that existed from 1915 to 1918 in Manhattan, New York City. It started as a semi-amateur Little Theatre then matured into a Repertory theatre with its own tourin ...
as an actress and performed in their productions. During the summers she frequented various
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
art colonies. By 1918, she was seeking a change of scene and a new job. She unsuccessfully applied for a job with the
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, seeking to go abroad again.
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
had not yet ended, and she signed up to do hospital work overseas. Taking a leave of absence from the New York City public schools, Jo left in late 1918 only to return in January 1919, ill with
bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...
. She was discharged by the Surgeon General in June, and discovered that she had lost her teaching position. Penniless and homeless, she found temporary shelter thanks to an old sexton at the Church of the Ascension who had helped her after seeing her weeping in the church. It was not until a year later that she won the right for another job from the
Board of Education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...
; after that, she continued teaching and pursuing a career in art. She first met her future husband Edward Hopper in art school, and then again in 1914 in
Ogunquit Ogunquit ( ) is a resort town in York County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,577. Ogunquit is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ogunquit, which means "b ...
, where they were staying in the same boarding house. However, their friendship apparently only began some years later. Their relationship became much closer during the summer of 1923, when they were both living in an art colony in
Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...
. After a
courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...
that lasted for about a year, the couple married on July 9, 1924. They remained together until Edward Hopper died in 1967. Jo modeled for the figures in most of her husband's paintings after 1924. Edward Hopper only produced one oil painting of his wife (''Jo Painting'' (1936)), but frequently made watercolors, drawings and
caricatures A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
of her. Throughout her married life Jo kept extensive
diaries Diaries may refer to: * the plural of diary *''Diaries: 1971-1976'', a 1981 documentary by Ed Pincus *'' Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years'', a 2006 book by Michael Palin *''OFW Diaries ''OFW Diaries'' is a Philippine television documentary ...
that recount her life with Edward and his creative process. These diaries also reveal that the marriage was troubled: the couple had frequent rows that sometimes escalated into actual fighting. Twenty-two of Josephine Hopper's diaries are in the collection of the
Provincetown Art Association and Museum The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is located at 460 Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is the most attended art museum on Cape Cod. The museum's permanent coll ...
in Provincetown, MA. As Edward Hopper's career soared soon after the marriage and his reputation continued to grow, Jo's artistic career waned after the 1920s. This was in part because "Jo poured her considerable energies into tending and nurturing her husband's work, handling loan requests and needling him into painting." She participated in a few group exhibitions (the biggest was organized by Herman Gulack in 1958 at the Greenwich Gallery), and she won the
Huntington Hartford George Huntington Hartford II (April 18, 1911 – May 19, 2008) was an American businessman, philanthropist, stage and film producer, and art collector. He was also heir to the A&P supermarket fortune. After his father's death in 1922, Hartfor ...
Foundation
fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
in 1957.


Legacy

After her husband died in 1967, Jo bequeathed her entire artistic estate (and that of her husband) to the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
. For a long time it was thought that the museum had discarded most of her work. In 2000, the writer Elizabeth Thompson Colleary discovered about 200 Jo Hoppers in the Whitney's basement. Colleary says Jo was an 'uneven' artist, but in general she thinks the work is good: 'I said to myself, "I will not resurrect this woman solely on the basis of the fact that Edward Hopper was her husband."' A few more works are known from photographs Jo made, as reproduced in Levin. Additional works by Josephine Nivison Hopper have continued to surface, as reported by Elizabeth Thompson Colleary. Jo's watercolors were exhibited at the Edward Hopper House Art Center,
Nyack, NY Nyack () is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. It is a suburb of New York City lying approximately no ...
, in 2014 and a few examples were included in an exhibition of "Edward Hopper as Illustrator" at the
Norman Rockwell Museum The Norman Rockwell Museum is an art museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to the art of Norman Rockwell. It is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art. The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions pertaining to ...
in Stockbridge, MA, also in 2014. In 2016, the
Provincetown Art Association and Museum The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) is located at 460 Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is the most attended art museum on Cape Cod. The museum's permanent coll ...
, Provincetown, MA, announced that 69 drawings and watercolors by Jo Hopper were included in the gift of Laurence C. and J. Anton Schiffenhaus, along with 96 drawings by Edward Hopper. An exhibition of these works, "Edward and Josephine Hopper from the Permanent Collection: drawings, diaries, letters, watercolors," opened in August 2017. The exhibition was extended "due to the overwhelming interest by scholars, critics and visitors" and remained on display until August 2018. In 2021 the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center presented the exhibition ''Josephine Nivison Hopper: Edward’s Muse'', which featured Josephine Hopper's watercolors.


Influence on Edward Hopper

As Edward Hopper's wife and companion for more than 40 years, Jo influenced his work in numerous ways. Perhaps most importantly, it was her example that inspired Edward to seriously take up watercolor, during the summer of 1923. A number of Jo's works depict motifs that would later become important for her husband. The watercolor ''Shacks'', done in 1923, depicts two houses behind a dead tree, a subject similar to many of Hopper's later works. Jo's watercolor ''Movie Theater—Gloucester'' (c. 1926–27) foreshadowed Edward's interest in depicting movie theaters: he produced a drypoint of the subject in 1928, and then returned to it occasionally, most famously in the oil painting ''New York Movie'' (1939). Beginning in the mid-1920s Jo became her husband's only model. It was she who thought up the names for a number of her husband's paintings, including one of his most famous oil paintings, '' Nighthawks''. Despite their complicated relationship, she helped when her husband felt insecure about a painting in progress, as in, for example, the case of ''Five A.M.'' (1937). As late as 1936, Jo reported that her husband was highly competitive and that her starting a work would frequently inspire Edward to start his own. In ''The Lonely City''
Olivia Laing Olivia Laing (born 14 April 1977) is a British writer, novelist and cultural critic. She is the author of four works of non-fiction, ''To the River'', ''The Trip to Echo Spring,'' '' The Lonely City'', and ''Everybody'', as well as an essay colle ...
discusses Jo's career and how it floundered because Edward was "profoundly opposed to its existence. Edward didn't just fail to support Jo's painting, but rather worked actively to discourage it, mocking and denigrating the few things she did manage to produce". It was at Jo's insistence that Edward not paint any other women except herself. In addition to her roles as Edward's muse and model, Jo served as the artists' record-keeper. In ledger books, now in the archives of the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
, Jo maintained inventories of the Hoppers' works, Edward's and her own. She wrote the descriptions that accompanied Edward's pen-and-ink sketches of paintings that were turned over to the Rehn Galleries, and she recorded purchases by date, buyer, price, and commission. Jo's sketchbook—including the notes, rough drawings, and scribbled maps that she made from the passenger seat as Edward drove their
Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
—documents the couple's summer driving trips in New England. Together with Jo's prolific output of diary entries and letters, these materials provide "A Window into the World of Edward and Josephine Hopper," to quote J. Anton Schiffenhaus.


Selected works

* ''The Provincetown Bedroom'', watercolor on paper, c. 1906 * ''View of Harbor in Volendam'', oil on panel, 1907 * ''View of Harlem'', oil on panel, 1907 * ''Shacks'', watercolor on paper, 1923 * ''Our Lady of Good Voyage'', watercolor on paper, 1923 * ''Pink House'', watercolor, 1925 * ''Guinney Fleet in Fog'', c. 1926–27 * ''Movie Theater–Gloucester'', c. 1926–27 * ''Railroad gates'', watercolor, 1928 * ''Gloucester roofs'', watercolor, 1928 * ''Striped tents'', watercolor, 1928 * ''House in Provincetown'', watercolor, 1930 * ''Churc steeple and rooftops'', watercolor, 1930 * ''South Truro Church (Odor of Sanctity)'', c. 1930 * ''Chez Hopper I–IV'', series of paintings of Hopper's South Truro house, 1935–1959 * ''Portrait of Alan Slater'', watercolor on paper, 1937 (private collection). * Untitled (Landscape), n.d. (Provincetown Art Association and Museum)Collection of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum
/ref> * ''Cape Cod Hills'' (exhibited as ''Sandy Hills''), c. 1936–38 * ''Dauphineé House'', c. 1931–36 * ''The Kerosene Oil Lamp (Gifts–Cape Cod Bureau Top)'', oil on canvas, 1944 * ''Park Outside Studio Window'', 1945 * ''Church of San Esteban'', oil on canvas, 1946 * ''Obituary (Fleurs du Temps Jadis)'', oil on canvas, 1948 * ''Portrait of Bertram Hartman'', watercolor on paper, 1949 * ''Jewels for the Madonna (Homage to Illa)'', oil on canvas, 1951 * ''Edward Hopper Reading Robert Frost'', oil on canvas, c. 1955 * ''Buick in California Canyon'', oil on canvas, 1957 * ''Goldenrod & Milkweed in Glorietta Peach Can'', oil on canvas, 1965


Notes


References

* Levin, Gail. 1998. ''Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography''. University of California Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopper, Josephine 1883 births 1968 deaths Modern artists American artists' models American women painters Painters from New York City People from Manhattan Place of death missing 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women artists