Between 1923 and the mid-1940s, Hopper executed hundreds of watercolors. Unlike his realist paintings, many of the watercolors lack human figures and were produced from loose brushstrokes. To find his subject, Hopper would wander for days, often circling the terrain to find an optimal viewpoint. The artist paid close attention to how impermanent light and shadows altered the landscape.
In 1934, Hopper and his wife Jo built a summer home in Truro, a town located near the tip of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. Just south of Truro is Wellfleet, where Hopper composed this watercolor. He painted the scene from the backseat of his car—a spot Hopper preferred because of his dislike for bugs and curious onlookers. A forked road, at the center of the image and the title of the work, was perhaps a relevant subject at the time for Hopper: alongside the recent move to a new home, the Museum of Modern Art in New York had just mounted a large exhibition of his work.
October, 2020
Exhibition History"Edward Hopper: The Watercolors," The National Museum of American Art, Washinton, Oct. 22, 1999 - Jan. 3, 2000, (circulated to: Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama, Jan. 30 - Mar. 25, 2000)
"Ten Americans: Masters of Watercolor," Andrew Crispo Gallery, N.Y., May 16 - July 15, 1974
"The Kirsch Years: 1936-1958," Des Moines Art Center, Jan. 7 - Feb. 10, 1974, (circulated to: University of Nebraska Art Galleries, Lincoln, Feb. 25 - Mar. 31, 1974)
"Edward Hopper," Whitney Museum of American Art, N.Y., Sept. 29 - Nov. 29, 1964, (circulated to: Art Institute of Chicago, Dec. 18, 1964 - Jan. 31, 1965; Detroit Institute of Arts, Feb. 18 - Mar. 21, 1965; City Art Museum of St. Louis, Apr. 7 - May 9. 1965)
"Edward Hopper," University of Arizona, Tuscon, Apr. - May 1963
"American Art: Today and Yesterday," Memorial Union, Iowa State University, Ames, Mar. 6 - 27, 1960
"Watercolors by Edward Hopper, with A Selection of His Etchings," Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, N.H., Oct. 9 - Nov. 15, 1959, (circulated to: Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Dec. 2 - 27, 1959; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, Jan. 6 - Feb. 6, 1960)
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 1957
Cedar Falls Art Association, Iowa State Teachers College, Feb. 28 - Mar. 18, 1956
United States Information Agency's Foreign Exchange Program, 1954-1955, "Watercolors for Asia," organized by the American Federation of Arts, N.Y., (circulated to: Gallery of All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi, India, Oct. 10-21, 1954; Artistry House, Calcutta, India, Nov. 14-23, 1954; Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay, India, Dec. 8-16, 1954; Madras Museum, India, Jan. 7-18, 1955; Lahore, Peshawr and Karachi, Pakistan, Feb. 17-Mar. 22, 1955; Colombo National Museum, Ceylon, Apr. 13-May 9, 1955; Manila, Philippines, June 9-23, 1955; Tokyo, Japan, July 26-Aug. 14, 1955)
"Realism in Painting & Sculpture," Des Moines Art Center, June 5 - July 12, 1953
Published ReferencesChrisopher Finch, AMERICAN WATERCOLORS, Abbeville Press, N.Y., 1986, p. 237, cat. no.332, color ill. p.256
Lloyd Goodrich, EDWARD HOPPER, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., N. Y., 1971, ill. p.228
DRAWING FROM NATURE, brochure published by Art Instruction Schools, Minneapolis, 1972, ill. p. 10
WOMAN'S DAY, Feb. 1965, color ill.
DES MOINES ART CENTER: SELECTED PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES AND WORKS ON PAPER, Des Moines Art Center, 1985, ref. pp.84 & 85, b/w ill. pl.60, p.85
"Watercolors by Edward Hopper, with a Selection of His Etchings," Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, N. H., 1959, exh. cat. no.28
"Realism In Painting & Sculpture," Des Moines Art Center, 1953, exh. cat. ref.
DES MOINES SUNDAY REGISTER, July 19, 1953, ill.
"Ten Americans: Masters of Watercolor," Andrew Crispo Gallery, N. Y., 1974, exh. cat. no.85, ill.
"The Kirsch Years: 1936 - 1958," Des Moines Art Center, 1974, exh. cat. no.26
"Edward Hopper," Whitney Museum of American Art, N. Y., 1964, exh. cat. no.114
Image: 19 7/8 × 27 7/8 in. (50.5 × 70.8 cm)
