Before the surprise attack, Americans believed we held significant control as a world power. That’s how we know he painted Nighthawks in reaction to this historic horror. Hopper’s wife, Jo, kept detailed diaries. Especially in big cities, America was struggling with aftershock and fear.
Hopper painted this soon after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. And it’s not only because that coffee has likely been sitting in those urns all day. The man and woman customers facing us also look miserable. They’re likely working late or at least stuck in a deadline time crunch. We know that most evening coffee drinkers are not headed out for some fun. Who drinks diner coffee late at night? It’s a mystery that Hopper wants us to ponder. The two enormous coffee urns behind the worker also point to this conclusion. This hints that all three are there for a cup of coffee. It highlights their alienation.Įach of them also sits beside a nondescript white mug. They lack identifiable names and faces in this masterpiece. This process makes Hopper’s characters Jane and John Does. The American painter did this by using himself and his wife, Jo as models. In fact, he made them anonymous on purpose. Thanks to Edward Hopper’s techniques, we know little about the customers in Nighthawks. The Story Behind Hopper’s Nighthawks Painting Where they do actually live is part mystery and part misery. Notice, the green border ends before reaching the three customers. After all, green isn’t only the color of grass, it represents life itself. These separate Hopper’s trio from the bright freshness of the real world. It’s another shade of the fresh grassy green framing the diner windows.
#NIGHTHAWKS BY EDWARD HOPPER PATCH#
Meanwhile, a light green patch colors the street outside. But the three customers sit trapped before a murky black background. This locks them inside the diner and also creates contrast between them and the worker. A pale yellow frames the trio of customers. Two mere patches of light illuminate the entire piece. With his trio of customers, Hopper gives us a visual representation for carrying around a bad day like a backpack.ĭark colors and Hopper’s distinctive style set Nighthawks in an urban world. The trio on the counter side hunch as if hiding or bummed. But he’s only in this position reaching under the counter for work. Hunched shoulders are the one trait he shares with the customers. He’s also clad in exuberant white – hat, jacket, and pants. That’s clear thanks to the triangle of counters around him – like a fence. Hopper spoke of the “three characters” in this painting. The other characters in the diner aren’t so lucky. After this shift he’ll leave through his very own interior door to a life outside this place where he has a home. This makes sense because he’s got his own thing going. Inside there’s a door only for the cheerful worker in white. That’s because it lacks an exterior door. The diner also offers no exit for the customers at the counter. There’s no way in for us other than observers. The Nighthawks diner remains remote from viewers. Though its title refers to predatory birds, this painting’s about the human condition. But they all point to the same conclusion. From loneliness to anonymity, it’s an existential homage to New York City in 1942. But why is Nighthawks by Edward Hopper so cool?Ĭlick here for the podcast version of this post.Įdward Hopper’s masterpiece Nighthawks conjures big city themes.
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