A Room in New York (1932) by Edward Hopper is of a couple that appears to be alienated and uncommunicative towards one another, as he reads a newspaper and she idles by the piano. In analysing the meaning behind the painting Hopper is quoted as saying, “The whole answer is there on the canvas.”
Hopper’s paintings often have strong geometrical designs, with figures placed in carful balance with their environment. In A Room in New York, Hopper uses strong horizontal lines and shapes to separate the two figures from each other and from the viewer, inducing a feeling of isolation. Combined with artificial lighting, the painting has a stage-like quality causing the viewer to become a voyeur, witnessing a framed scene.
A feeling of silence pervades the work. The body language of the couple is that they are not interested in speaking to one another; rather they are too caught up in their own activities. The piano becomes the substitute for spoken communication.
