Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper (1942)
	Edward Hopper’s paintings are known for depicting mundane, urban moments of the modern north-American life during the 40s. Nighthawks is undoubtedly his most well-known painting which portraits the paradox of solitude in New York City. It displays four people (three customers and a waiter) sitting around the counter of a downtown diner located in a deserted urban street, presumably late in the evening or early dawn hours. 
	The luminous diner, with its light yellow walls and large glass windows contrasts with the darkness of the streetscape, whose darkness and emptiness conveys a sense of peace and quiet. The lack of people walking outside and vehicles adds to the feeling of abandonment and strangeness, since it contrasts with the idea of a typical New York street with noise and life. 
	Sitting with his back facing the window is a man with his head down, wearing a dark suit and a hat. He has a glass in his hand, possibly filled with an alcoholic drink of some sort. His body language suggests he is drinking to forget his problems, whether they are of professional or private matters. Sitting across from is another suit-wearing man with a woman with a vivid red dress sitting next to him. The man, with a cigarette in his right hand, and the waiter standing in the other side of the counter seem to be having a banal tête-à-tête while the woman seems uninterested in participating in it. 
	The melancholic mood of this painting is given through the contrast of dark colours of the outside and the bright ones of the diner. The stony facial expressions of the four people and their unwillingness of socializing with one another just increase the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Hopper’s choice of perspective makes the viewers feel as silent voyeurs. Since there is no door shown in the painting, the viewer is left outside, observing with sadness these individuals that, despite being together, are not mentally there.

English Language and Linguistics

Pandemic Media 485

CHILDREN'S FILM WORLD

Book Trailers We LOVE Eng. 12