Melinda Fidler

Art History

M/W 7 pm class

4/21/16

Nighthawks

            The painting Nighthawks by artist Edward Hopper is one of the most enduring, emulated and parodied pieces of the 20th century. It is considered to be an embodiment of the art of the 20th century. According to the Art institute of Chicago, “the image--with its carefully constructed composition and lack of narrative—has a timeless, universal quality that transcends its particular locale.”[i] Nighthawks serves as an icon to the loneliness of Urban America in the twentieth century.[ii]

The Nighthawks by Edward Hopper is an oil on canvas painting, created in 1942, it is 84.1 x 152.4 cm, and is currently on display at The Art Institute of Chicago as part of the Friends of American Art Collection. It was so named Nighthawks by his wife Josephine shortly after the piece was completed.[iii]

Within the Nighthawks painting is a late night scene. It shows a darkened street, with closed shops and apartments with darkened windows. The scene is broken up by the brightly illuminated diner, the inside of which can be seen from large plate glass windows. Inside the diner are three patrons –two men and one woman- and the male attendant behind the counter.

Nighthawks is a play on light and shadow. The light inside the café seems to illuminate only the interior, even though there are hints that the light reaches outside the glass walls. The light, however, does not reflect anywhere else in the painting, lending itself to the idea of isolation. The artist also employs chiaroscuro, as the figures in the diner have the backdrop of darkness behind them, which, in some ways makes them seem as though they could fade into that blackness behind them. The colors, too, are played upon, as the gray of the street outside is more green than gray, almost as though the yellow light from inside the café has indeed washed over the street to create the effect. Hopper’s use of color, light and dark show not only in the lit scene within the diner, but without, as he creates the sense of a late night setting, where the world sleeps, save those within the bright space. There is a sense of calm about the painting, though, on closer inspection, we can feel other emotions. Loneliness is the most prevalent, which then leads the audience to a sense of isolation.

Even the figures within the painting seem isolated, from the man on the far left to the figures that are closest to each other, there is a definite detachment from one another. The woman in red seems intent what is held in her right hand, while the man sitting next to her stares off to the right, either lost in thought or simply staring at nothing. The dark figure on the left sits hunched upon the counter, his face unseen, yet the feeling of loneliness still sits with him as he sits alone and away from the others. There is an empty water glass across from the woman in red, abandoned. This can lead the audience to believe that the glass belonged to someone who has just left, making the group within the café smaller, more deserted. The man in white seems as though he could very well be interacting with the figures he is closest to, yet his line of sight is not such that one could find this to be true.

Many believe that the painting’s seeming disconnect of subjects represents the feelings of the American public during a time of war.[iv] Others believe that the symbolism of the painting is that of isolation and urban emptiness, despite Edward Hopper’s denial that this is the case. He did, however, acknowledge that there could be an “unconscious” aspect of those ideas to the work.[v]

During the time period in which the piece was created, there was unrest in Europe, as Germany, under the Nazi regime, was beginning to invade and take control of other countries. Europe was perched on the precipice of another war, which started in 1939. Then, in December, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Naval base of Pearl Harbor, declaring war on the United States. It was in the aftermath of this event that the Nighthawks painting was created. The attention of the whole of America was now focused on Japan and war. Many artists fled the turmoil of Europe in the 1930’s and came to America, their lives in upheaval. Edward Hopper was no less affected by the events, as he was interested in world events, though, they would, unfortunately cause him much anxiety. Despite this, his burst of creative energy would still see the creation of what is considered to be his masterpiece.[vi]

Nighthawks is often compared to Vincent Van Gogh’s Night Café. Use of color, the brightly lit café, play on shadow and even subject matter are similar to each other. According to one biography, Hopper did draw upon this piece for inspiration, but also from the popular gangster movies of the 1930’s.[vii] Indeed, if one were to look closely at the figures, one would see that there is a hint of the Film Noir style about them. The man sitting alone, for example, is wearing a light gray suit with fedora pulled down low over his head. One could almost interpret him to be a gangster from one of those films.

While comparing this piece to others Edward Hopper painted, I found myself gauging the pattern of disconnect between the subjects. In Hotel Lobby, for example, there again is a detachment of the people in the painting. The woman sitting on the right of the painting is separated from the two other subjects. The man and woman sitting on the left of the painting seem as though they could be interacting, yet, as with the Nighthawks, there is a sense of detachment among them. Hotel Lobby contrasts with Nighthawks in that while playing with light and dark colors, it really does not play with shadow.

Another example of the feeling of disconnect between subjects can be seen in the painting Second Story Sunlight, the two subjects within the piece are not interacting with each other, yet very well could be, just as the woman in red and the man sitting next to her could in Nighthawks. What makes this piece different than Nighthawks is that it is set in the daytime, and there is no liberal use of chiaroscuro within the piece.

Van Gogh’s Night Café, when compared to the piece it may have inspired, one gets the same sense of disconnect amongst the patrons and waiter, but also can see visible similarities in the use of color, and light. Night Café, unlike Nighthawks doesn’t have the darker hues of colors, and are of a higher saturation of color. With Nighthawks there is a sense of realism that cannot be shared with Night Café, as Van Gogh’s surrealistic approach creates the illusion of drunkenness on the part of the viewer, but also gives the audience a sense of “seediness” that cannot be shared with Nighthawks, and gives the piece a sense of despair with its disconnect. [viii]

Nighthawks seems to celebrate, as well as be celebrated because of its sense of isolation and disconnect. It can be said that it shares the same feelings that many Americans did feel as fears of other attacks from Germany as well as Japan began to flood through the populace in 1942. It can also be considered a representation of America’s stance prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as America isolated itself from the rest of the world to not become involved in any other conflicts that might erupt in Europe. When it came down to it, that disconnect was what really connected America to the rest of the world, so, in a sense, cannot the same be said of the people within the Nighthawks painting?

Despite the sense of disconnect within the painting, Nighthawks still instills a sense of hope. That this late night comes before a day which can be anything. And, perhaps, the people within the painting were simply caught in but a moment of disconnect.

[i] http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/111628

[ii] Jemmott, Janet M. “Edward Hopper’s Illuminating images of America” Cortland Forum 8.9 (1995) MasterFILE Complete. Web. 26 Apr 2016

[iii] Levin, Gail Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (University of California Press 1998), pp 348-350

[iv] Edward Hopper and His Paintings http://www.edwardhopper.net/

[v] Nighthawks http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/111628

[vi] Levin, G., & Hopper, E., Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks”, surrealism and the War, Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, 22.2 (1996) 181-200

[vii] Levin, Gail Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (University of California Press 1998), pp 350-351

[viii] Harris, Nathaniel The Masterworks of Van Gogh, Colour Library Direct, (1999) pp 167-168