Whitney Museum of Art

Early Works by Edward Hopper Exhibited at Mark Murray Fine Paintings in New York

Filed under: Art

In conjunction with the Whitney Museum of Art's acclaimed Edward Hopper exhibition, Mark Murray Fine Paintings on Manhattan's Upper East Side is holding an exhibition of original works of art by the groundbreaking Ashcan School artist. All of the works are available for purchase.

Thirty rare early drawings, watercolors and a landscape in oil are on view at the gallery, all of which were formerly in the collection of the artist's widow, Jo Hopper, and subsequently given to the Reverend Arthayor R. Sanborn. Interestingly, Sanborn was a close friend of the Hopper family and served as the minister who officiated at the burial ceremonies for Hopper in 1967.

Mark Murray Fine Paintings' exhibition reveals Hopper's early mastery of drawing, particularly the human form, his fondness for literary sources, and his admiration for the paintings of the Old Masters. A subtle psychology can also be seen taking shape, especially in the many subjects he approached as an illustrator.

Gallery: Edward Hopper Exhibit at Mark Murray Fine Paintings

Three highlights of this collection include a large and bold drawing depicting the artist's mother, Elizabeth Griffiths Smith Hopper, executed c. 1900; an early landscape in oil titled "Country Road" (1897) (seen above), one of only 32 paintings by Hopper remaining in private hands; and a striking illustration depicting firemen at work titled "Under Control" (1907-10). A selection of drawings from this collection were included in the catalogue for an exhibition titled "The Early Drawings of Edward Hopper" (with an essay by Hopper scholar Gail Levin), held at Kennedy Galleries, New York in 1995.

Tags: art, art gallery, Ashcan, edward hopper, exhibition, Mark Murray, Mark Murray Fine Paintings, whitney museum, Whitney Museum of Art

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RSVIP: BCBG Sponsors Kooky Fun Whitney Museum Art Party

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Apparently, there is an art to dressing up for an art party.

"It took a couple of people to zip me into this dress," Christina Ricci, an early arrival at an off site Whitney Museum soiree, told Luxist, her dark hair artfully ironed flat. The slenderized young actress claimed that friends had squeezed her into the stretchy neo-Herve Leger bandage dress designed by Max Azria, the present owner of the label, and his wife, Lubov. The signature Leger gown created the effect that the wearer had been wrapped up in bandages in the sexiest possible fashion, no spanks needed.

Ricci, best known as Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family" film series was graciously attending the BCBGMaxAzriaGroup-sponsored Whitney Contemporaries art party and auction on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, at a loftlike space on Mercer Street in SoHo. With a tweak by Bronson Van Wyck, the interior resembled a windblown forest of privet with peony blossoms the size of dinner plates floating in Plexiglass towers. "The Whitney lets us go wild with this party," said the party designer to the stars. "So this year we decided to actually go wild; we brought in wild vegetation, vines, huckleberry, eugenia, and tree peonies, the rarest variety."

Even the privet had sizable white blossoms. "And it only blooms for about three weeks per year," offered Van Wyck.

The space was further decorated by "Lost" beauty Emile de Ravin, who also starred in "Remember Me" with "Twilight" megastar Robert Pattinson but who was dancing with designer Adam Lippes, a host of the party. De Ravin had on an emerald-green dress by BCBG with a flair skirt. Supermodel Alek Wek, who hails from Sudan, kept moving to avoid being swarmed by bold young art collectors with pocket cameras.

Tags: art, christina ricci, emilie de ravin, ivanka trump, kate gilmore, liz magic laser, luba azria, maggie grace, whitney museum, Whitney Museum of Art, Whitney Musuem of American Art