Painting Description
Edward Hopper. NIGHTHAWKS: THE SEARCH FOR THE DINER
This painting was executed by Edward Hopper, painted in 1942. The size of the painting is 30 x 60 inches, done on canvas with oil paints. The mood this painting sends to the audience is the feeling of loneliness, and late night emptiness. There are two men and a lady sitting around a large rounded counter with coffee mugs in front of them. I would assume it’s a coffee shop that they are in, but could possibly be a bar as well. The coffee shop has a large glass window wrapping around the whole shop, and onto the corner. There is a sign above the place, that says Phillies, probably the name of the shop, or maybe they sell cigars as well. It looks like part of the sign is cut off so we cannot see if this sign has more written on it. Noticing the sidewalk next to the coffee shop, it seems unusually pretty. Also, across the street from the shop, is a large building that appears to be closed, there are no lights on, and no people inside. Back to the coffee shop, there is a person inside behind the counter who looks to be filling a cup to serve a drink.
The sidewalk area right outside the shop area is a light white, much lighter than a normal concrete sidewalk would look. The darkness of the street, and the bright light in the shop give the shop intense contrast against the other items in the painting. With just a coffee shop on a corner, and not much more, he has clearly shown to the viewer the familiar empty quietness of a city asleep, and the possible problems people face in everyday life. The woman inside the place, in herself, has the most intensified contrast against the painting as a whole. The lines are very obviously defined, and mainly thick, with little intricate detail. They are mainly used here to show dimension and depth. His color use makes the action in the shop the focus of the painting. The painting is very dark and the streets are empty, giving it a gloomy tired nighttime feel. The expressions on the people’s faces, the mood of the dark night, and the empty street and deserted building have portrayed a somber, lonely quiet mood. Aside from the other people, the lady on the picture is the only one who is entirely facing us. Red, in my opinion, is one of the strongest contrast colors, especially against this background where there is lots of black and brown colors used. The solidness and dimension make the painting look more like he was trying to portray a photograph more than a painting. There are grey streaks in the sidewalk, which make it look like marble slate. Edward Hopper’s use of color, shadowing, depth, and the placing of the viewer’s perception to the painting, give the viewer the feeling that if we were there, it would be a quiet night. The man sitting by himself, looks like he might be sad or lonely, maybe deep in thought.
I. You are the owner of the art gallery. You need some pictures to be exhibited in the show. Write the requirements for the pictures (genres, coloring, composition, themes, general idea). Don’t forget to mention about the prize. J. You are applying for a position of an Art Advisor at the Metropolitan Museum. The last task of the interview is to describe your favorite picture of the American artist (you may choose one from Appendix). The decision of the boss depends on it. To obtain this position is your lifetime dream, you’ve been craving for it since your teenage years. Try as hard as you can, making wide use of the topical vocabulary.
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