The Cat Boat

The Cat Boat by Edward Hopper, created in 1922, is a superb example of the artist’s powerful contribution to American printmaking during the early part of the century. This work is executed as an etching in black, a demanding relief technique that Hopper utilized extensively between 1915 and 1928, often focusing on evocative coastal and maritime scenes.

The subject depicts a single-masted sailboat, known specifically as a cat boat, powering through choppy waters. This scene captures a quintessential New England maritime environment, characteristic of the subjects Hopper frequently explored. Unlike the stark, flat colors of his later oil paintings, this print allows the medium of etching to define the atmosphere through high contrast and precise linear definition. The density of the black ink is utilized effectively to delineate the sails and the turbulent surface of the water, generating a palpable sense of tension and movement across the composition.

Dating to 1922, this work situates itself firmly within the American artistic production spanning the years 1901 to 1925. During this time, Hopper was actively refining his unique approach to realism, transforming common subjects into carefully framed meditations on light, form, and solitude. His early adoption of etching enabled him to develop the keen sense of observation and structure that would define his mature style. Hopper’s rigorous draftsmanship is evident here in the detailed rigging of the boat and the stark interplay between light and shadow on the hull.

As a highly regarded print, The Cat Boat has circulated widely and is now frequently available for educational purposes in the public domain. The original impression currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a key record of Hopper’s masterful command over the precise and atmospheric qualities achievable through printmaking.