Houses of Squam Light, Gloucester - Edward Hopper
Archival giclée
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Description
A 1923 watercolour by Edward Hopper depicting the stark, sunlit architecture of the Gloucester coast in Massachusetts.
Edward Hopper produced this watercolour during his productive summer in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1923. At this stage in his career, Hopper was moving away from his earlier focus on etching and illustration, finding in the New England coast a subject that allowed him to explore the interplay of light, architecture, and the natural environment. The work depicts two modest structures positioned against a rocky, uneven terrain.
Hopper employs a direct, economical application of paint. He uses the white of the paper to suggest the bright, clear light of a coastal day, while the shadows are rendered in cool, muted tones that provide structure to the buildings. The composition is deliberate, placing the houses in a quiet, isolated arrangement that avoids unnecessary detail. The foreground is dominated by large, rounded boulders and patches of grass, which lead the eye toward the white clapboard walls of the houses.
Unlike his later, more cinematic oil paintings, this watercolour captures a sense of immediacy. The brushwork is fluid, yet the artist maintains a rigorous control over the geometry of the scene. The red chimney of the primary house provides a singular point of contrast, drawing attention to the verticality of the architecture against the horizontal sweep of the ground and sky. This piece demonstrates Hopper's ability to find aesthetic interest in the ordinary, unadorned buildings of the American coast. It is a study of form and atmosphere, reflecting his interest in the specific quality of light found in the northern United States. The work remains a clear example of his early mastery of the watercolour medium, which he used to document the changing character of the American vernacular.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Houses of Squam Light, Gloucester - Edward Hopper
Artist Biography
Edward Hopper
He grew up in Nyack, a small town on the Hudson River, studied illustration, then moved to Robert Henri's painting class at the New York School of Art. Henri was the central figure of the Ashcan School, which painted American life without prettifying it. Hopper absorbed the directness but not the social energy. His paintings got quieter, more still, more concerned with what people look like when they think nobody is watching.
He went to Paris three times between 1906 and 1910 and came back with Degas and Manet in his head: cropped compositions, angled light, figures caught mid-thought. Then he spent a decade failing commercially, working as an illustrator to pay the bills, and painting watercolours that nobody bought. Success came late. His first solo show was at forty-one.
In 1924 he married Josephine Nivison, a painter who had also studied under Henri. She modelled for nearly every female figure in his paintings, managed his career, and kept detailed records of every work he produced. The marriage was difficult. Both of them had sharp tempers. She engineered his public image as a recluse, which he was, mostly.
Nighthawks, the diner painting, was made in 1942. Jo named it. Hopper admitted he was probably painting the loneliness of a large city, though he was reluctant to say so directly. The diner has no visible door. People have pointed this out for eighty years and nobody has determined whether it was intentional.
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