Pictures of home. The art of Edward Hopper

Pictures of home. The art of Edward Hopper.-Hanna Segal's theories of art are drawn upon here to underpin the interpretation of a number of works by the American painter Edward Hopper. These works illustrate the way in which a satisfying esthetic experience is not merely the experience of something beautiful and harmonious in itself but can also involve a confrontation with a damaged world, albeit a damaged world restored by the artist in accordance with the rules of esthetics. It is this transformation that gives us a feeling of "rightness." Engaging with this transformation, the recipient cannot only identify with the challenging things referred to in the pictures (depressive moods, stasis, loss, death), but also with the artistry with which the painter resolves the challenge in order to achieve an esthetic restitution of the damaged subject.