South Carolina Morning (study)

  • 1955
  • charcoal on paper
  • 8-9/16 x 10-15/16 inches
In all of Hopper's paintings from this period the people seem to be looking out, waiting for something. By the summer of 1955 Hopper was surely feeling tremendous pressure to find a subject, both for personal and financial reasons. The previous year had produced only one painting, not completely successful and eventually purchased by Joseph Hirshhorn, who was known to be a tough negotiator.

South Carolina Morning is interesting when viewed in relation to Sea Watchers from 1952. The basic set remains the same but with a different cast. South Carolina Morning differs greatly from the preparatory sketches. The building began as a storefront with open windows. The tree at right has been eliminated and the building became a closed up surrealistic stage set - enter left.

South Carolina Morning, 1955, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, Whitney Museum of Modern Art, NY

It is noted in the catalogue raisonné that there are three preparatory drawings for this painting.