Hopper was raised in Upper Nyack, north of New York City. A historic area of summer homes and yacht-building on the Hudson River. His young life was ruled by a strict Baptist upbringing, dominated by the presence of his grandmother, mother, sister, and house maid.

He had thought of becoming a naval architect, but his parents encouraged his art practice. In 1899 he took a correspondence course. He soon transferred to the New York School of Art and Design under William Merritt Chase. Starting in 1905 he painted covers for magazines.

Dissatisfied with his menial illustration work, and having failed to sell his oil paintings, he turned to etching. He also started to develop themes seen in his later work, such as couples sitting silently and figures gazing in and out of windows.

It was 1923, when he was 41, before Hopper saw any great recognition of his work. That year, six of Hopper's Gloucester watercolours were admitted to an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Critics enjoyed the work, and the museum purchased one for $100.

According to Boston Museum curator, Carol Troyen, "Hopper really liked the way these houses, with their turrets and towers and porches and Mansard roofs and ornament cast wonderful shadows. He always said that his favorite thing was painting sunlight on the side of a house."

His moody scenes were at odds with the trend for European style cubism, abstraction, and vivid colours. He later said that he, "didn't remember having heard of Picasso at all", though he was interested in Old Masters, such as Rembrant.

In developing his self-image and individualistic philosophy of life, Hopper was influenced by the writings of American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Hopper later said, "I admire him greatly … I read him over and over again."

While Hopper disdained personal interpretation of his art, he refrained from making claims of his own. One rare comment said, "The inner life of a human being is a vast and varied realm and does not concern itself alone with stimulating arrangements of color, form and design."

Hopper's sparse, contemplative paintings and rendering of the modern American landscape have inspired many, notably Alfred Hitchcock in films such as The Birds and Vertigo. Hopper's House by the Railroad is said to be the direct inspiration for the Bates house in Psycho.

Impressionism was a school of painting which developed in 19th Century France, seeking to catch the changeable qualities of light and human perception using short brushstrokes and a subtly varied color palette. 

Many famous Impressionist artists worked 'en plein air', setting up their easels outside to paint their surroundings. Scroll on to see seven Impressionist works, then click and drag the Street View panels to step through the frame into the landscape...

Gustave Caillebotte’s stunning oil painting of the Place de Dublin in Paris, created and exhibited in 1877, is perhaps the artist’s most famous work.

Caillebotte’s combines realism and impressionism. The details in the foreground are in sharp focus while the background fades away, similar to the depth of field of a camera lens.

Click to explore the area today. The streets of Place de Dublin, or Carrefour de Moscou as it was known in 1877, have a bit more traffic than they used to!

In the autumn of 1881, Renoir visited Venice, Italy, to see the city’s Renaissance masterpieces. While there, he also painted some masterpieces of his own!

In addition to other paintings of Venetian landmarks, Renoir created this ethereal painting of St. Mark’s Basilica.

The Piazza hasn’t changed much in the centuries since Renoir visited, and tourists still flock to the spot to see the same cathedral. Click and drag to look around St. Mark’s Basilica using Street View.

Mary Cassatt, an American artist who became one of the best-known Impressionists, painted several pieces in opera boxes, or loges, including this beautiful example at the Palais Garnier in Paris.

This oil painting was created in 1879 and debuted the same year at the fourth Impressionist exhibition in Paris. Cassatt’s sister Lydia is said to be the model for this piece, as well as for others in the series.

The immaculately-gilded theater at the Palais Garnier in Paris is still in use today, so if you attend a ballet, you may sit in Mary Cassatt’s seat!

Though it wasn't in Cassatt's time, the ceiling is now famously adorned with a spectacular mural by Marc Chagall. Zoom in and explore the painting in high-definition here.

Camille Pissarro’s vibrant portrayal of Paris in the springtime was painted in 1897, toward the end of his career. Pissarro is notably the only artist to have displayed work at all eight of the Paris Impressionist exhibitions.

In addition to his contributions to the Impressionist movement, Pissarro also worked with George Seurat and Paul Signac, and influenced the paintings of Vincent van Gogh.

Boulevard Montmarte is one of the grands boulevards of Paris, and its splendor is still evident today. Click to explore the charming street.

French artist Berthe Morisot painted this foggy picture of the Thames during her 1875 visit to London. Morisot was a brilliant and prolific artist whose career spanned a variety of media and subjects. She showcased her pieces at all but one of the Impressionist exhibitions!

The Thames, which flows through more than 200 miles of southern England, has drawn countless artists to its banks over the centuries. 

Click and drag to look around the area, and paint the scene if you’re feeling inspired!

Claude Monet might be thought of as the original Impressionist, considering the movement was named after one of his pieces, ‘Impression, Sunrise.’ This painting depicts the same location: Le Havre, France, where Monet spent most of his adolescence.

Today, Le Havre is still a vibrant, thriving city in Normandy, France. In 2005, UNESCO classified it as a World Heritage Site. Use Street View to stroll down the same coast Monet did!

Alfred Sisley, a Paris-born artist of British descent, created this vivid scene in 1874. ‘L’Aqueduc de Louveciennes,’ as it’s known is French, was built in the 1680s and had actually been retired in favor of underground plumbing in 1866.

The Aqueduct at Marly still stands proudly, almost identical to Sisley’s oil painting. Click to explore the area!