Cape Cod Evening

Edward Hopper painted this scene of American solitude in 1939, working from his studio in Truro, Massachusetts. A couple stands outside their house in the fading light while their collie gazes into the encroaching woods. No one looks at anyone else.

Hopper captures the psychological distance that can exist between people who share a life. The woman appears lost in thought, the man faces the dog, and the dog watches something unseen in the trees. The deep shadows of evening amplify the sense of isolation.

Like all of Hopper's mature work, the painting isn't a literal portrait of a place. He combined elements from different locations and posed his wife Jo as the female figure. It is a highlight of the National Gallery of Art American collection.