Scrub Pines

Painted in 1931 on Edward Hopper's second visit to Cape Cod, Scrub Pines is one of more than a dozen watercolors completed that summer. He first visited the area with his wife, Jo, in 1930, renting a house in South Truro for three summers before building a home and studio there in 1934. New England offered Hopper respite from the bustle of the city and a plethora of pictorial elements to explore, often spurring a creative outpouring, which formed an important portion of his oeuvre. Gail Levin writes, "This flurry of watercolors testifies to Hopper's ambition and optimism in this period." (Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography, New York, 1995, p. 240)