Soir Bleu (Blue Evening)
Painting on canvas • Edward Hopper
Style & Movement
American Realism with influences from French Post-Impressionism and Les Nabis.
Medium & Technique
Oil paint on canvas; techniques include broad brushwork, flat color application, and expressive contours typical of early 20th-century realism and post-Impressionism.
Creation Period
1914
Dimensions & Format
Large-scale landscape format; approximately 36 x 72 inches (91.4 x 182.9 cm).
Subject Description
A diverse group of figures at a Parisian cafe terrace under a deep blue evening sky. Centrally seated is a white-faced clown (Pierrot) smoking a cigarette, flanked by a bourgeois couple, officers, and a standing prostitute. The composition explores social isolation and urban alienation.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent/Very Good; currently maintained in a museum environment with stable pigmentation and structural integrity.
Estimated Market Value
$50 million - $80 million (Estimated based on historic museum value and Hopper's high market demand).
Auction Estimate
$40 million - $60 million
Provenance History
Held in the artist's studio for decades after being rejected in its 1915 debut; bequeathed by Josephine Hopper to the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1970.
Art Historical Significance
A pivotal early work that bridges Hopper’s Parisian training with his themes of American urban loneliness. It is one of his most ambitious and largest compositions, marking a transition point before he focused primarily on American subjects.
Notable Features
Features the recurring motif of the 'isolated individual'; notable for the vibrant lanterns and the stark, theatrical lighting that would become a hallmark of Hopper's mature style.
Condition Issues
Minor surface craquelure consistent with age; possible slight varnish yellowing depending on last cleaning cycle.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled UV lighting and relative humidity (45-55%); ensure archival framing with non-reflective museum glass.