Leading up to the completion of A Woman in the Sun, it would make sense to take a look at the art world as a whole. Hopper’s works are undoubtedly examples of realism, works that sent him into being a well-known name in the art scene. But by 1960, not only was Edward Hopper in his late 70s, but more avant-garde, daring artists were coming onto the canvas and seemed to be stealing the spotlight. When I say avant-garde, I begin to think of someone like Clyfford Still, who was creating at around the same time as Hopper. Still’s 1957-D-No. 1 is the exact opposite of something that Hopper would create. There are no realistic people or settings in the piece; it is rather a hodgepodge of colors thrown onto the canvas. The unorthodox style even extends to the title of the piece. Instead of describing what is in the painting – which in this case would more than likely just be colors – he titles it something like 1957-D-No. 1. This is not to discredit Still or other avant-garde artists, but it is important to understand that this was slowly becoming Hopper’s competition near the end of his life. After years of painting realistic scenes, canvases of irregular color patterns were beginning to overshadow the public eye. The rise of abstract expressionism, art that falls into the avant-garde category, is an important thing to take into account when looking at A Woman in the Sun. Hopper was not only older, but also found himself fading into a realm of irrelevancy.