Loneliness sketched on a report card

Is there any artist who has captured urban loneliness and isolation as profoundly as Edward Hopper? His paintings depict empty streets, solitary figures confined indoors, and individuals dining or watching movies alone—scenes that consistently evoke a sense of desolation. But when did he begin painting such images?

Surprisingly, it appears to have started in his childhood. Evidence of this can be found in Boy Looking at the Sea (c. 1891), a drawing attributed to a young Hopper. This small black-and-white sketch portrays a boy standing on the shore with his back to the viewer, his hands clasped behind him. His head is slightly bowed as he gazes at the ocean. He seems neither concerned nor afraid despite the waves breaking at his feet. Though his small frame suggests he is only four or five years old, his posture is serious and devoid of playfulness—resembling the solitary adults in Hopper’s later works. A signature in the lower right corner indicates a sense of artistic identity, even at the age of nine. What makes this drawing even more remarkable is its medium: the reverse side of a school report card. It remains unknown whether young Hopper, discouraged by poor grades, expressed his emotions through this sketch or if the report card was simply the most accessible piece of paper at the time.

Hopper was known to have performed well academically in elementary school. However, his artistic talent outshone his scholastic abilities, and with the encouragement of his supportive parents, he pursued a career in painting. Born in 1882 in Nyack, north of New York City, Hopper lived in a house overlooking the Hudson River until age 27, frequently sketching maritime scenes and ships.

This particular drawing was one of several artworks discovered in the attic of the Hopper family home by Reverend Arthayer Sanborn, a neighbor from his childhood, after the artist’s passing. As Hopper once stated, “The seeds of later work are always found in early work.” Indeed, this elementary school drawing seems to foreshadow the destiny of a painter who would become synonymous with solitude.