Edward Hopper: Chop Suey (1929)

Artist reviews: Edward Hopper and his painting Chop Suey

Modern realism is a twentieth century art movement that occurred in America and Britain. It is defined mainly by the innovative ways the artists produce everyday scenes. Consumerism and modern life were big influencers on this movement. The painting Chop Suey (1929) by Edward Hopper displays the similarities between the consumerist topos of modern realism and the synonymous movement of Pop Art. While Pop Art was influenced more by consumerism through products, planned obsolescence, advertising etc, modern realism focused more on everyday life with modern living as a back drop.


Chop Suey depicts two women inside a restaurant. They sit not relaxed facing each other and at a table by a window. Outside the window is an advertisement that in its entirety, based on title of the painting, says CHOP SUEY. The sign is red with large letters with red, orange and blue light bulbs. The woman and the sign make two halves to this picture. The restaurant itself is dark. The only light appears to be coming from the window. By the ladies there is a lamp, but it is unlit. In the background another couple sit, the man almost in complete darkness. The woman facing the viewer is staring outwards from the picture with black eyes, rather than at her friend. She is in plain clothes, and has an attractive yet plain face. In this half of the painting the palette is dark and neutral with blacks, greys, whites and browns.
The other half, the sign is red. The brightness of the red seeps into the darkness of the restaurant through the wall colour as seen in the window area, and a red coat hanging on the wall. The window has a panel in the bottom which blocks the view of the couple if they were to look outside. In the background there is a ladder visible.
Altogether these two sections connote some interesting dichotomies. For example, there is an opposition of living versus detachment. The bright sign and light outside represents the vibrancy of modern life whereas inside the women are detached from this by the darkness, by the window panel, and by the desolate expressions on the main woman's face. This 'emotional detachment' conveys a second dichotomy; acceptance versus escape. The expressionless woman, and the darkness around the other figures suggests entrapment by modern life. The viewer looks from inside the restaurant, trapped with the subjects. The coat on the wall hints to the outside. However it is unworn, left on the wall. Its owner is not obvious. The motionlessness of the people in the scene represent an acceptance of this entrapment. In contrast the ladder, just visible from the window, connotes the possibility of escape. However it is inaccessible.

Overall Chop Suey appears to depict a view of modern life that is desolate but also matter-of-fact. The influence of consumerism on the city are depicted here by the sign in the window. However the emotional detachment of the woman represents a blaze attitude to this changing scenery. The people are kept in the dark here while the light comes from the outside. The strong palette emphasizes an eerie atmosphere and a feeling of exclusion, of isolation.

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