(Rocks and Waves)

1914

A commission for movie posters

In 1914 Hopper receives a commission to create movie posters and handle publicity for a movie company; he does not like illustration, but he remains a lifelong devotee of cinema and theatre, both of which he treats as subjects and which influence his compositional methods.

1915–1923

Turning to etching

At an impasse over his oil paintings, in 1915 Hopper turns to etching; by 1923 he has produced most of his approximately 70 etchings, many of them urban scenes of Paris and New York, as well as some posters for the war effort.

1916–1919

Monhegan Island: seascapes

Hopper paints the majority of his pure seascapes of rocks, sea and beach grass on Monhegan Island between 1916 and 1919, mostly in strong light and fair weather.

1918

The Shipping Board Prize for “Smash the Hun”

In 1918 Hopper is awarded the $300 U.S. Shipping Board Prize for his war poster “Smash the Hun”.

January 1920

A one-man show at the Whitney Studio Club

In January 1920 a one-man exhibition of Hopper's work is held at the Whitney Studio Club, the precursor to the Whitney Museum; earlier, in 1917, he took part in a show of the Society of Independent Artists, and in 1922 he exhibits again at the Whitney Studio Club.

early 1920s

His etchings gain recognition

During the early 1920s Hopper's etchings begin to receive public recognition; they express some of his later themes: a couple in silence (“Night on the El Train”), a solitary female (“Evening Wind”) and a simple nautical scene (“The Catboat”).