Edward Hopper

Frank Nitti sent me.

In an earlier post, I discussed Nitti. One of the things we learned was that he was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the 2002 movie The Road to Perdition. While doing my homework, that is, reading the wikipedia page, I learned that the work of artist Edward Hopper was inspiration for the cinematography in Road.

I became acquainted with Hopper when we lived in Ft. Worth and I worked at the Amon Carter Museum as a guard. I worked there for a couple of years and learned to appreciate, even identify, the work of artists who would become favorites. Hopper is one of those. (I also learned about work I do not like. Maybe we'll talk about that some other time, though, I can't imagine why) Probably the most famous of Hopper's work is "Nighthawks". It is the painting of a diner late at night and about three people are in the place. It has become one of those things that most every American has seen at one time or another, and has been recreated or staged in countless ways. In other words, it's famous.

Edward Hopper, who died in 1967, is another reason to see Road to Perdition. Filmed 35 years after he died.