Curt Hoppe, Conversation at Sammy’s Beach, C-Print with Small Strokes of Paint, SIGNED on back, 2000. Size: 20 x 16 inches — For Sale
This vintage photograph shows Sammy’s Beach back in 2000. Curt Hoppe is a photorealist painter who used his photos as the basis for large oil on canvas paintings. Along the edges of this “working” print, are small dabs of paint that Hoppe used to check colors as he worked to duplicate the full range of blues found in the sky and water. The finished painting is reproduced in East End Paintings, the catalog of Hoppe’s exhibition at the Terry Wallace Gallery in 2000.
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Curt Hoppe’s photographs of the Hamptons made twenty-five years ago, show the famous summer beach-community at an especially enticing time before the crowds and hyper-gentrification. Hoppe’s approach was straight forward, take photos of the area’s best-known sites and also create still-lives with objects that exemplify the simple everyday pleasures of the resort in high season.
The photographs feed nostalgia but also have an art world significance. These are the “working” photographs that Hoppe used for the sold-out series of photorealist paintings of the Hamptons that he made between 1997 – 2002. Hoppe applied the swatches of paint to confirm his color choices as he worked on the large oil paintings that were his ultimate product. The photographs provide a glimpse of the working methods of an established realist artist. The small paint strokes also enhance the viewing experience, making us more aware of the colors in each of the photos.
We have chosen here a selection of Hoppe’s best “working” photographs. As you scroll down, you will see the photos juxtaposed to pictures of the finished paintings as they were reproduced in catalogues published by the Wallace Gallery in 2000 and 2002, and on the cover of Dan’s Papers, the leading Hamptons weekly magazine. All of Hoppe’s East End paintings sold for substantial prices at the time of their creation. An added bonus in owning one of these photographs is knowing that it is the source for an original photorealist painting that is now hanging in a Hampton’s mansion, but that could one day re-emerge in a museum or at auction.
Sag Harbor Cinema
Curt Hoppe, Sag Harbor Cinema, C-Print with Small Strokes of Oil Paint on the Top and Bottom Edges, SIGNED on back, 2000. Print Size: 20 x 16 inches — For Sale.
The Sag Harbor Cinema is still the most prominent landmark in this East End community. Hoppe also painted the cinema at night.
Here is the finished painting reproduced in the catalogue for Curt Hoppe’s exhibition at Wallace Gallery in 2000.
Curt Hoppe, Sag Harbor (2000), as seen on the cover of Dan’s Papers, January 6, 2017. Size: 14 x 11 inches — For Sale
Dan’s Papers featured Hoppe’s painting of the Sag Harbor Cinema on the cover of its January 6, 2017 issue, just weeks after a fire gutted the theater and destroyed its distinctive art deco façade. The community raised $20 million to accurately restore the building’s facade, and its original sign salvaged from the rubble. The restoration was completed in 2021.
Curt Hoppe, Sag Harbor (1999), as seen on the cover of Dan’s Papers, December 24, 1999. Size: 14 x 11 inches — For Sale
On a number of occasions Dan’s Papers used Hoppe’s paintings on their covers. Their holiday issue in December 1999 featured his painting of the Sag Harbor Cinema at night with Christmas lights.
Palm Reader
Curt Hoppe, Palm Reader, Photograph (C-Print) with paint strokes and masking tape, 2000. Size: 15.25 x 10 inches — For Sale
While the majority of Hoppe’s works focus on Hamptons’ landscapes, he was also very successful creating still-life paintings featuring familiar logos and items evocative of the simple pleasures of Hamptons life. Along with the napkin from the Palm Restaurant, is a matchbook showing the Huntting Inn where the restaurant is located.
When comparing the working photograph for the Palm to the final painting, seen here in Hampton’s this, Hampton’s that…, an exhibition catalog published by the Wallace Gallery in 2002, you can see how Hoppe changed the image by cropping the top.
Milk Picture
Curt Hoppe, Milk Picture, C-Print with Small Strokes of Oil Paint and Masking Tape on Board, SIGNED on front and back, 1997 – 2002. Print Size: 20 x 16 inches — For Sale
The store Barefoot Contessa in East Hampton sold high-end artisanal foods to an upscale crowd. This particular working photograph is notable for the multiplicity of color strokes that Hoppe needed to capture the image’s limited range of colors.
Around the time Hoppe did this work, Ina Garten sold Barefoot Contessa to a group of her employees, and embarked on a new career that would gain her national fame as an author of cookbooks, and the host of a long-running cooking shows on the Food Network.
Saturday Morning
Curt Hoppe, Saturday Morning, Photograph (C-Print) with paint strokes, 2000. Size: 15 x 10 inches — For Sale
Saturdays saw long lines of weekenders purchasing donuts, coffee and newspapers from Dressen’s Excelsior Market in East Hampton.
Still-lifes featuring Dressen’s donuts and newspapers were Hoppe’s most popular motif leading to numerous variations, as well as, related prints and posters. Comparing the photo to the painting, you can see how Hoppe filled out the composition by adding an extra cup on the left-side of the painting.
