The Barber Shop depicts a woman sitting in a barbershop reading as the man next to her shaves a customer. The painting’s composition resembles a photograph that captures the moment as the subjects seem to be in movement. Hopper is famous for his association with the realism movement and capturing the lives of ordinary people. He wanted to capture the beauty in the everyday lives of the underclass and highlight the barber shaving the man. The woman in the center is seemingly removed from the rest of the painting, capturing the isolation and loneliness of modern life.
SKU: 52583
Creator: Edward Hopper
Date: 1931
Original Medium: oil on canvas
Location: Private Collection