Title: Gelato Nighthawks (TGF Catalogue No. 425.361112)
Gallery Location: Portland
Artist: Edward Hopper
1942
Oil and acrylic paint, canvas
This now-iconic work was only discovered in 2002. Found in the New York City basement of Czech real estate magnate Cervena Izice, the piece had been painted over by Hopper with an initial study for Early Morning Sunday.
“Cracking, due to the acrylic underneath, I peeled off a flake from the study and voila! Underneath were two hands holding a dish of gelato,” said Izice. She took the work to an art restorer who was able to remove the top layer and clean the original, shown here.
It is believed that Hopper, finding this original to be too controversial for an ice-cream-eating public, altered his concept later in 1942 to produce his famous Nighthawks.
