Morning sun (taken from the movie on Edward Hopper)
By Gustav Deutsch, 2011
This image comes from "Shirley: Visions of Reality," a 2013 film by Austrian artist Gustav Deutsch. The movie brings to life thirteen paintings by the American realist Edward Hopper, recreating them as living scenes with an actress at their center. This particular frame is based on Hopper's 1952 painting "Morning Sun," which shows a woman sitting alone on a bed, bathed in early light pouring through a window.
What makes the scene so striking is its stillness. The woman gazes out at a quiet cityscape, lost in thought, her orange dress glowing warmly against the cool green walls. Deutsch worked hard to match Hopper's famous use of light and color, where every shadow and beam feels carefully placed. Hopper was known for capturing moments of solitude and quiet reflection in modern life, and that mood carries straight through here.
The clever thing about Deutsch's project is how it sits between film and painting. By stepping into Hopper's world, he invites us to wonder what these silent figures might be thinking, and what happened just before or after the moment we see. It is a thoughtful tribute that respects the original while giving it a gentle new life.