Nighthawks 1942

Edward Hopper’s "Nighthawks" is a painting made with oil on canvas, it currently lives at the Art Institute of Chicago. Look at how the colours are almost separated, there's a distinct feeling of isolation which he achieves not just through the subject matter, but through the painting itself. The texture is smooth, almost polished, which adds to the sense of distance between us, the viewer, and the scene. The fluorescent light spilling onto the street is almost a character in itself, casting an eerie glow. Notice how the figures are lit, each face a mask of contemplation, disconnected. There's a tension between the slick, clean surface and the raw, emotional content. You can't see brushstrokes, but instead, there's a carefully constructed moment. Hopper lets the ambiguity of the scene do the work. It reminds me a little of what Vilhelm Hammershøi was doing in Denmark, thinking about quiet interiors as spaces of isolation and reflection. Ultimately, "Nighthawks" leaves you with more questions than answers.