Nighthawks differs with a much more complex and moody appeal which offers greater longevity. The Nighthawks painting came about soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and perhaps helps to sum up the negative feelings within the United States around this time.
Edward-hopper.org
2021
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Nighthawks tribute
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https://www.edward-hopper.org/nighthawks/
I see it differently. The hysteria of vengeance after Pearl Harbor whipped up quite a lather in the US. Nighthawks is more reflective of the depths of the Depression. A traveling businessman down on his luck. Even female company does not alter the dour mood. They are both drowning in their misery. The waiter is a beam of light but he is surrounded by what? Miserable people, dark shadows, and air that appears as lifeless as a corpse. The three bars on the windows add an air of creeping confinement. The operative word is anomie. If this were a movie, whatever happens next in each of their lives will not be good.
ReplyDeleteYou could be right ...... Hopper always left it to the individual
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