the breeze is coming from a fan inside the building. Also, the woman is wearing a very thin dress. In fact, the material is so transparent that the woman’s skin is visible through her gown. These elements reveal that it is a hot, sweltering day in the city. Finally, each painting contains a number of bizarre, yet interesting characteristics that add to the continuing theme of darkness. For instance, the women’s faces in each painting are significant. In Spring Rain, the woman has her back to the viewer, hiding her face. In Summertime, the woman possesses an almost lifeless, blank stare upon her face. This lack of detail to the womens’ faces forces the viewer’s attention instead to the background. For example, the large tree, overshadowing the woman in black, in Spring Rain is quite unusual. The tree is the only tree in the park with out leaves. It is completely bare. Why did Sloan choose to paint the tree in this manner? Perhaps, he is attempting to signify death, due to the fact that the dead tree is looming over a woman dressed completely in black. Sloan also painted a few small lurking shadows in the background of Spring Rain. An important quality that Summertime possesses is its simplicity. There is almost nothing besides the building and the women in the painting. There is nothing else around. This is most likely because of the unforgiving heat. Also, it is important to consider the year Summertime was painted. In 1943, many of the American men were away at war. The painting’s lack of figures shows that the mood is the real subject of Hopper’s painting. It conveys an atmosphere of all-embracing loneliness and an almost eerie solitude. Summertime and Spring Rain are slices of urban, American life. They portray different time periods and seasons, but posses the same mood of sadness. Edward Hopper and John Sloan achieved this through their different, yet equally effective ar...
