Many of us have been transported by Edward Hopper's melancholic paintings precisely because of the romanticism that his vision of modern isolation evokes. Hopper's vibrant tableaus invite the viewer to step into a quiet world—and stay a while. This effect is due, in part, to his stark interiors and the play of light and shadow, which recall the film noir genre.
Austrian artist and filmmaker Gustav Deutsch recognized the cinematic qualities of Hopper's paintings and translated them to film in his 2013 feature, Shirley: Visions of Reality. The film recreates 13 of the American painter's works and stitches them together to tell the story of Shirley, an American actress played by Stephanie Cumming, through the country's wars and social history from 1931 to 1963.
Hopper's characters and interiors come to life thanks to cinematographer Jerzy Palacz's camera work. Steal a glimpse of the moody film in a series of stills below, and you'll find yourself daydreaming about a quieter, more solitary—and more colorful—existence.
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