According to a passage in a book on the artist and his art, Hopper and his wife went to New Mexico in 1925 for part of a summer. New Mexico has for over a century been a magnet for artists, who often rhapsodize about the sharp, clear light, as the northern half of the state is mostly over a mile in elevation. Hopper decided to investigate, and indeed, did some great paintings, including an overlook of the Chama River above Abiquiu. However, this denizen of Manhattan soon was bored with the pace of "poco tiempo", and started to whine to his wife Jo about it. Sick of hearing it, Jo kicked him out of their rented casita, telling the laconic Ed "Don't come back until you have a finished painting!"
Times passed and it was close to dinner. On a hunch Jo walked down to the railroad yard and found him finishing the painting.
Some interesting notes....Santa Fe was for many years was one of the smallest of state capitals in population, tied with Carson City, with a population for much of the last century under 10,000 residents. So it is understandable that Jo had little trouble finding her husband that summer afternoon. She may have had a hunch he would go down to the rail yard, as he liked to paint trains,among all the other diverse subject he paintied in his distinguished art career.
Also, apparently the D&RGW kept a spare T-12 in Santa Fe, in case the engine coming from Antonito needed repair. The branch to Santa Fe was certainly the longest on the D&RGW narrow gauge, being 150 miles from the nearest repair facility. That is how Hopper had a static model to pose for him long enough to do his fine rendering. Finally, Jo and Ed Hopper were married to each other till "death do us part", unusual in a profession that marital stability was historically an aberration. Pewrhaps it was because Jo insisted to Ed that if he wanted a nude model, it HAD to be her!
