Art Analysis: Jane Freilicher’s “View Over Mecox” and Edward Hopper’s “Rooms by the Sea”

I will be comparing and contrasting Jane Freilicher’s “View over the Mecox” and Edward Hopper’s “Rooms by the Sea” because of their similar artistic style and subject matter. As complimentary pieces, they work well together, and also show some unique differences between each artist’s perception and style.

Both painters are of American heritage, and as such have aided in expanding the vast variety of quality American artwork within the last century. Traditional paintings such as these are rare in a modern society such as this, and both truly represent a piece of artistic history, brought to a new age in America. The soft lines and realistic portrayal of the scenes is reminiscent of the realist style used by other famous painters throughout Europe, such as Michelangelo, and DaVinci. Certainly these paintings encompass both art history and modern art, in one.

Edward Hopper was a student at the New York School of Art, in 1901, where he began a stimulating journey through fine art. He enjoyed traveling and studying art in Europe, though eventually in 1910 settled down in New York State. He lived in his home near Cape Cod, with his wife, Josephine (Jo) Verstille Nivison, who he was betrothed to in 1924. Along with his new marriage was a new perception on art. Rather than painting commercially, he began to do so for his own persuasions, and created such popular pieces as “Gas” (1940) and “Nighthawks” (1942). Through his work he developed an ability to truly capture the stress between civilized man and nature. When asked his purpose for contrasting these two parodies, he quoted that his ultimate goal in painting was “to achieve the best possible realization of my most intimate impressions of my surroundings” (Gordon, 2002).

Jane Freilicher, also began painting more seriously within the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. She studied with contemporaries such as Nell Blane and Larry Rivers, among others at the New York School of Painting. During this time she developed a unique Abstract-Expressionist style that separated her from the other more traditionalist painters of her time. During the 1960’s and 1970’s she began incorporating delicate realism into her paintings, reminiscent of a more traditional style. She drew from her surroundings for inspiration, but also allowed (and continues to allow) her imagination to guide her along as she creates the scene with her paint-filled brush (Katz, 2004).

Both paintings are done using oils, though “View Over Mecox” is created on linen, and “Rooms by the Sea” is created on canvas. The texture difference here is significant in distinguishing the softness (linen being the softer choice) with which the oils are applied, as well as in distinguishing the detail with which the paintings are created. “View over Mecox” is vibrant in color, expressing warm greens, violets, and golds. “Rooms by the Sea” encompasses a much smaller color palette, almost to the point of being monotone, including limited cooler tones of blue and gray. There is only a small hint of vibrancy with a reddish/brown chair in the background.

Both paintings exhibit the view of a person looking out into the world from a man-made structure. In “View over Mecox,” the viewer is looking out of a window pane over a beautiful meadow, a flower and note gracing the windowsill. In “Rooms by the Sea” the view appears to be focused on the room itself, and almost as if in an afterthought, the ocean outside is seen through the open door. Certainly the focus of these two paintings are vastly different, even though they appear at first quite similar.

Overall, these paintings exhibit similar characteristics, but through further examination of both the paintings and the painters, it is evident that they are vastly different in perception and creation. Edward Hopper paints with the purpose of exhibiting the difference and the strain between man and nature. His painting “Rooms by the Sea” is a perfect example of the strain between the clean, crisp room, and the unpredictable waves outdoors. Jane Freilicher created “View of the Mecox” as a realistic rendition of her view of nature, exhibiting her love for detail, color, and imagination. Certainly both of these images were created well by master painters, both with varying, though similar, subject matter, and similar technique.

Works Cited

Gordon, Ian. “Edward Hopper.” Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Pub. ©200
Hopper, Edward (American, 1882-1967) “Rooms by the Sea” 1951, Oil on Canvas, 29×40 inches, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Jane Freilicher (American 1924-) “View Over Mecox” (Yellow Wall), 1991-1993, American Painting, Oil on Linen, 80in x 70in (203.2cm x 177.8cm), Not

currently on view
Katz, Vincent. “Urban Meditations.” Art in America. Brant Publications, Inc. ©2004.