Nighthawks 1942

‘Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city.’ 🌃 Step back in time to an American diner in 1942. You are an outsider, standing alone in the night air. You peer through the window of a shabby diner, separated from its inhabitants by a vast pane of glass. Inside, three customers and a server in white uniform sit at the oak counter. Despite their physical proximity, the four figures do not interact; each is detached from their companions, lost in their own thoughts. Who are these people? 👥 ‘Nighthawks’ (1942) is the most recognisable oil painting by the artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967). Hopper is known for his melancholic works, which embody American Realism. The American Realist movement aimed to represent the lives of the everyday citizens of the United States. 🇺🇸 The United States had officially entered World War II in December 1941. By the completion of this oil painting on 21 January 1942, the rationing of essential foods and other everyday items was in full swing. There is no explicit reference to these wide-scale social upheavals in ‘Nighthawks’; rather, Hopper draws attention to the interior emotions of four ordinary individuals. 🧍 In this bleak scene, the four figures are united by their slouched postures. This posing suggests a shared weariness and fatigue. The atmosphere is still and silent, building enigma and tension. Hopper’s composition is geometric and dominated by precise lines. The fluorescent light of the diner spills from its windows, illuminating the surrounding pavement. 💡 The exact location of this diner is debated, and it is often theorised that its appearance is an imagined. Perhaps it is an amalgamation of several different storefronts? Hopper stated that he was inspired by the streets of downtown Manhattan, the most populated borough of New York City. This lack of a distinctly recognisable location allows the image to remain relatable to a broad audience. 🏪 This painting is often interpreted as an image of melancholic nostalgia. Do you agree? What does it make you think about? 💭👇 Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham