After editing Sheila Hollihan-Elliot’s article “Edward Hopper: Composing for Impact” for our July/August issue, I was intrigued about some things I’d learned about Hopper’s private life, about the role his wife Jo played in his painting—and he, in hers.

So I ordered Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography by Gail Levin (Rizzoli International Publications, 2007). I thought I could find some compelling anecdotes to blog about—for example, what was going on when Hopper was working on such-and-such a painting. A week later the book arrived—a 2½-inch-thick, 777-page tome left balancing precariously on top of the huge stack of proofs in my in-box.

Maybe I was intimidated by its heft, fearful of blogging about a book I might never finish; perhaps locating those tantalizing bits of their lives seemed more difficult than I’d originally thought; or, after spending 10-hours a day working on the magazine and related duties, it could be that I was more attracted to lighter, “summer” reading, gardening and walks in the park. At any rate, it’s three months later and you’ve seen nothing from me on this Hopper biography—rather, I should say, you’ve seen nothing from me at all.

Yet I remain interested in Hopper's work and his life, and, if I ever get to it, the book promises to be a fascinating read. But for now I thought I'd share this Metropolitan Museum of Art Special Exhibition Podcast that sheds some light (no pun intended) on Hopper’s A Lighthouse and Two Lights. I hope you enjoy it. --Chris McHugh

Learn more about the book here.
View the painting here.
Listen to the podcast here.