AMERICAN MASTERS: HOPPER: An American Love Story

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published December 18, 2023 at 2:20 PM PST

Encore Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!

Best known for iconic and enigmatic works including “Nighthawks,” “Chop Suey” and “House by the Railroad,” realist painter Edward Hopper has inspired countless artists and filmmakers, from Alfred Hitchcock to Ridley Scott to the creators of “The Simpsons.” But little is known about Hopper’s own influences. AMERICAN MASTERS "HOPPER: An American love story" reveals the man behind the brush and explores how his marriage to fellow artist Josephine Nivison Hopper shaped his art and career.

Edward Hopper displayed a preference for quieter social commentary with his art. In "Automat," he paints a woman alone in an empty automat, conveying a sense of loneliness and isolation. In "Chop Suey," two women are depicted at lunch without male chaperones, reflecting the newfound independence many women were experiencing at the time.

Featuring a generous selection of Hopper’s evocative images, revealing research and rare archival footage, the film offers an exploration into his complex life, and how he became an enigmatic yet wildly popular artist. Hopper’s story is further illuminated through readings of letters and diary entries, voiced by Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”) and Emmy Award winner Christine Baranski (“The Gilded Age”) as Edward and Josephine, respectively. Isabel May (“1923”) also voices Hopper’s earlier, secret romantic interest Alta Hilsdale.

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Edward Hopper painted what he wanted to paint, showing no interest in the growing diversity of America or the social movements happening in New York City. "It's just almost comical for me to imagine Hopper, still in his button-down at his easel, when you have this great Bohemian culture happening right outside the window," says curator Kim Conaty. "And it's not really reflected in the work."

"HOPPER: An American love story" reveals that one cannot understand Edward Hopper without understanding his relationship with his wife, Jo. Before Hopper became one of the most well-known American artists, he sold his first painting, “Sailing,” for $250 and did not sell another for 11 years.

When Edward Hopper first met fellow painter and future spouse Josephine Nivison in 1923, he had not sold a painting in 10 years. Jo, on the other hand, was at her most productive, both showing and selling her artwork. When Jo recommended Hopper's paintings to gallerists, his career began to soar while hers faltered.

His fortune changed dramatically when he met fellow artist Josephine Nivison in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Nivison becomes Hopper’s primary model, marketer and muse. Her candid diaries chronicle her experience giving up her own promising career to take on the management of her husband’s work to boost his reputation and sales. With excerpts from rare television interviews, the film captures Edward Hopper’s peculiar personality and insight into his own art, as well as Josephine’s reflections on her sacrifice for him.

Watch On Your Schedule: AMERICAN MASTERS "HOPPER: An American Love Story" is available to stream with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.

AMERICAN MASTERS: HOPPER: An American Love Story

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