Edward Hopper — House by the Railroad

A poignant metaphor for being caught on the cusp of change in a world that is moving on without you.

Here we see a grand old house, illuminated by beautiful sunlight — in a scene which really should be representing a kind of quintessential American dream.

And yet, there is a definite sense of melancholy here; with strong shadows signifying the fading light of the day — and the house stood so lonely in it’s spot overlooking the railroad.

It’s like the house itself is gazing in uncertainty at the scene in front of it. Wondering what will become of it now — or fearful over the first signs of change in this former idyllic landscape.

After all, it’s easy to forget just how revolutionary the railroads were in their early days of crossing countries like this.

Though our digital world now is so hyper-connected — it really is not so very long ago that the most astonishing technology mankind had developed was the ability to travel by train. So, at the time when this painting was made — or, certainly, at the time it is depicting — the railroad itself was one of the real undeniable symbols of progress.

But, of course, all progress comes at a cost too; namely, the end of tradition.