Edward Hopper's watercolor of a Cape Elizabeth landmark sold for $1 million

Yahoo

19-05-2025

May 19—Drive down Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, and you'll spot a scene worth $1 million.
In 1927, Edward Hopper made a small watercolor of the Spurwink Church. He painted en plein air, which means that he made the work somewhere near what is today the intersection of Spurwink Avenue and Bowery Beach Road.
Last week, Sotheby's sold "Spurwink Church" for $1.016 million to an unidentified buyer. Pre-auction estimates had put the potential sale price at between $500,000 and $700,000. The auction house noted it was the first time in more than 30 years that the painting has been on the market.
The prestigious auction house described this painting as "a quiet yet powerful testament to Edward Hopper's enduring sensitivity to place, light, and solitude."
"As he did in his most celebrated works, Hopper saturates Spurwink Church in a warm, radiant light which imbues the scene with a palpable emotional depth," the description reads on the Sotheby's website. "Throughout his career, Hopper was especially drawn to the interactions of light with the landscapes and architecture in the various places surrounding him. Cape Elizabeth's bright summer sun offered no shortage of inspiration, with endless displays of sunlight and shadow against the bucolic scenery."
The Spurwink Church dates back to 1802. The simple meeting house is the oldest public building in Cape Elizabeth and has been named to the National Registry of Historic Places. It was home to an active congregation until 1957, when its dwindling membership transferred ownership to the town. Today, the church is available for special events such as weddings, christenings and funerals.
Hopper spent nine summers in Maine between 1914 and 1929. He painted the church's position at the top of a blustery hillside. The wind tosses the trees, and the rich blue of the Spurwink River can be seen in the distance. The watercolor is not large — just 14 inches by 20 inches. It was part of a private collection before last week's sale.
"With its delicate balance of structure and atmosphere, 'Spurwink Church' encapsulates the contemplative stillness and emotional resonance that would come to define Hopper's oeuvre," the auction house said. "As both a record of Hopper's prolific time in Maine and a broader meditation on the passage of time and the poetics of light, 'Spurwink Church' exemplifies the depth and nuance of Hopper's celebrated artistic vision."
Diana Boccardo is an independent consultant for Sotheby's and lives in Cumberland. She was not involved in the sale, but the lot caught her eye. Boccardo moved to Maine in recent years to be closer to her son and his family, and she immediately understood why the scene inspired Hopper.
"I feel I can relate," she said. "I feel that Maine can be a muse for painting, for writing. I would also like to take a brush when I see it."
Boccardo showed the scene to her neighbors and friends, who all eagerly followed the news of the sale. One was Maria Glaser, who has lived in Cape Elizabeth for 44 years. Glaser has friends who are buried in the cemetery that abuts the historic church and plans to be buried there herself. Glaser said she often drives by that intersection and admires the verdant landscape and the quiet loveliness of the area. She hopes the person who bought the painting lives in Maine — and, perhaps, would loan it to a museum here so admirers could see it in person.
"I think it's exciting that our little town is in the hands of someone who truly, truly values it," she said.
This story will be updated.
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