Le Bistro (The Wine Shop) by Edward Hopper - 1909 Whitney Museum of American Art Le Bistro (The Wine Shop) by Edward Hopper - 1909 Whitney Museum of American Art

Le Bistro (The Wine Shop)

oil on canvas •
  • Edward Hopper - July 22, 1882 - May 15, 1967 Edward Hopper 1909

By 1910 Edward Hopper had travelled to Paris two times, staying once for a full year. He was shy, uneasy in French, and likely spent a lot of time alone. When he painted Paris, he painted a city that was almost completely devoid of people. There is a sense in which the city is almost a kind of empty stage set, waiting to be populated by others.

At first glance, the painting seems to show an almost completely rural scene, with trees bending in the wind and an elegant arched bridge crossing a small river. The only apparent concession to the modern world is the line of houses just visible to the left of the wide, empty boulevard. A second look, however, draws the eye to the pair of figures seated at the table in the bottom left-hand corner and reveals that this is in fact Paris. The drinkers are apparently deep in conversation, with the bottle of wine they share standing forgotten to one side.

Have a great and calm Friday (maybe with a glass of wine)!  ; )

P.S. Or maybe a cocktail? Here's our fine selection of 10 cocktails inspired by art for artsy drinking!