Tow #7- Nighthawks

One of the best known twentieth- century paintings depicts nothing more than four people in a diner at night. Although this doesn’t seem like much, there is much more to it. This painting is called Nighthawks and was painted by Edward Hopper, a famous painter. Nighthawks is undoubtedly Hopper’s most popular painting. It was painted only a few days after Pearl Harbor, although that does not seem to have much of an effect on the painting itself. It was painted a few years after diners had become popular so it makes sense he would depict one in his painting. There are many possible reasons that have been argued for why Hopper created Nighthawks, I believe it was to show the loneliness of living in a big city.  The painting creates a sense of isolation through his use of lighting and windows. The diner does not have a visible entrance into it. Because there is no door, the only way for the viewer to get inside of the diner is through the windows, which only allows them to view the people inside. This isolates the viewer on the outside from the people inside. The diner is also the only thing lit in the whole painting. The streets outside are completely dark, only the light from the diner leaking out to illuminate them. This makes it seem like the only things happening in that moment are happening to the people in the diner. Something else that adds to the isolated feeling is the one man with his back to the audience. He is alone while the other three people are at least in a closer vicinity. It is not even certain the two customers next to each other are close relationship wise. I believe Hopper achieved his purpose and created an isolated painting, pulling the reader into his lonely, fluorescent lit diner.