Chop Suey

Chop Suey
Edward Hopper
1929
Oil on canvas
32 1/8 x 38 1/8 in.
Collection Barney A. Ebsworth

Outside the window, above the lamp, is a narrow, soft yellow beam of light. Below the yellow beam is another narrower, light blue beam. Behind this second beam is a plane of blue, the same shade as the second woman’s cap, the lampshade’s shadow, the “suey” sign’s blue bulbs, and the blue bowl’s shadow.

            Above the yellow beam is another lighter blue shade, this one has slender lavender streaks in the topmost portion of the whole.

Only the very front of the red-haired woman’s face is seen. She is on the very middle-edge of the painting. Her hair is pulled back and is almost the same orange color as the foremost windowbox, or the “suey” sign. It covers a third of her pale face. Only her face is visible. No other part of her body is seen.

Behind her face is the edge of the furthest windowbox. On the ledge is another lamp. This lamp is silhouetted against the window and the green is a darker olive than the first lamp.

The man is in a black suit, with a light blue collared shirt and tie. Both of his forearms are resting on the edge of his table. Most of his table, also white, is in shadow. As are his hands. In his backmost hand is a cigarette, held as though it is lit. His face is pointed down, not looking to the woman across from him, but to his hands. His entire face is encircled in shadow. Below his table is all in very dark shadow, his legs and feet are not discernable.

To the left of the “suey” sign, and above the first beam of light, is a lighter shade of blue, similar to the highlight of the blue bowl. This color continues to the left side of the composition, but in front of it, taking up two thirds of the upper left-hand quadrant is a wall between the two window boxes.

The front of the wall is black from shadow, but is orange in the light, as shown by the right corner that forms the foremost windowbox. On the right-hand corner of the wall, above the first woman’s head, is a gray coat hook. Hanging upon the hook is a long orange jacket. There is a light yellow-orange highlight on the collar that faces the window. On the right sleeve, there is a fainter highlight, about two shades darker than the first. To the left of the wall is a second window box. The profiles of a dark-haired man, and red-headed woman sit front of it, in the back ground of the bottom-left quadrant.

On the bottom third of the window there is what appears to be a painting or sign with shades of yellow, red, and blue. The sign has multidirectional gold lines over a flag-like arrangement of navy and red stripes on a lighter gold plane. Above the stripes is what appears to be a navy shield shape on a red plane.

 Past the sign is another lighted sign, taking up most of the window’s view. The sign is red with circular yellow bulbs down the right side. The front has large, clean, white letters with small blue bulbs, spelling “suey.” The right side of the sign is in shadow. To the right of the shadowed side, on the edge of the composition, is a fire escape. Behind the sign and fire escape, there is nothing but two beams of soft yellow light. Past those, in the uppermost right corner, is a deep navy blue, the same shade as the shadow on the second woman’s cap.

To the right of the chair is a very large red-orange window box that takes up about half the painting. On the ledge of the box, to the right of the two woman’s table is a small lamp with a light green lampshade. Two light olive stries are painted along the top and bottom of the shade. Inside the shade is a blue shadow, similar to the color of th ebowl and woman’s cap. The lamp base and stem is a copper color and is neatly scrolled, unlike the modern lines of the teapot and bowl. Behind the lamp is the window.

In front of the bowl is the second woman’s hand. Only one of her arms is visible. It is bent at the elbow, resting on the table in front of her. She is dressed in a purple shirt, the same shades as the first woman’s cap. A blue and gold scarf is draped around her neck, and she is wearing a bright blue cap, the same style as the first woman’s. Her face is obscured; only part of her chin and cheek show. She is sitting in a curved red chair, only the top of which can be seen.

Sitting on the white table in front of her is a square red teapot, approximately half the size of her face. The spout is facing the window, and to the right behind the pot is a bluish cast shadow. In front of the woman’s right arm is a blue bowl. It is small, around the size of the teapot, and is short with a wide opening, andhas angular, tapered sides.

In the foreground, two women sit at a table. The women, and the table they are sitting at, take up about a fourth of the entire painting. They are mostly located in the lower left quadran. One woman faces the viewer. She wears a v-necked shirt that is dappled with at least 10 different shades of green. her arms are resting naturally at her sides, her hands out of sight, below the tabletop. Her right shoulder is bathed in a yellow green light from the large window to her right, as is her bust; her left side is in shadow.

Atop her head is a purple cap, not unlike those of the 1930s fashion. The cap shades her eyes so they look like two black almond shapes. The black of her eyes and deep indigo shade of her cap contrast with her ghostly complexion and full, deep fire-engine red lips. Below her left eye, there is a pink blush, about the same size as the eye abouve. The woman appears to be wearing small, black ovular earrings. There is a highlight on the right earring due to the light from the window.