Edward Hopper

New York Movie

Nighthawks

Edward Hopper is the most famous American realist of the inter-war period. He is renowned for depicting simple and mundane objects and situations, but often these situations have various dark undertones. His paintings have a very cinematic quality, and often deal with the theme of loneliness. He painted hotels, trains, roads and small gatherings of people, such as 'Nighthawks' which is shown here. This painting depicts loneliness and desolation. The way in which the characters aren't interacting with each other and just happen to be in the same room but pay no attention to one another conveys isolation. The lighting plays a big part in this painting, contrasting the cold grey dimness of the street to the unwelcoming, harsh light of the bar, creating a sense of a hostile city. This interest in lighting probably came from Hopper's keen interest in films.
Of this picture Hopper said 'I didn't see it as particularly lonely... Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city.'