The Nighthawks Analysis

The Nighthawks by Edward Hopper is considered two-dimensional art. Some examples of two dimensional art is paintings, drawings and photographs. This painting is considered two-dimensional art because it was painted on a flat canvas and can only be observed in terms of height and width. This piece is not considered three-dimensional because it does not occupy space or have mass. Although this painting does not occupy space, it does imitate three-dimensional space or depth.

Edward Hopper was a realist and his subjects were drawn from real life situations. This art is naturalistic because it has recognizable objects that imitate nature and three-dimensional space, like the diner, customers in the diner, and other buildings in the background. The

subject of this piece in particular, a diner, is realistic and its ideas are obtained from real life, or closely expresses a real-life situation that has or may occur (Cooper, “American Painter Edward Hopper in Chicago”). It is considered a narrative piece because it features people and landscape elements, buildings and people, about which one can invent a story. Although this painting is a narrative it is said to be timeless or ordinary so it broadens the stories it could be representing. This painting could have many stories be hide it pertaining to a diner, but the painting illustrates a diner open twenty-four seven in which three customers, all caught up in their own heads, have gathered together (Druick, “Entry”).
When analyzing Nighthawks my eyes are automatically drawn to the diner, the people in it and specifically the man in the hat with his back to us.

The artist used colors and light to draw one’s attention to the diner and the people in it and then to the only character not facing the viewer. This emphasis with the use of colors and light means “that our attention is drawn more to certain parts of a composition than to others” (Getlein 127); when the emphasis is on “a relatively small, clearly defined area” (Getlein 127) this is called a focal point. The focal point in this piece of art is not only the brightly lit diner sitting on the corner of an empty intersection, but also within the diner, where the eye is drawn to the individuals in the diner. In addition, the woman stands out in particular because of her red dress and the bright color of her

hair.
On the contrast, subordination is when “certain areas of the composition are purposefully made less visually interesting, so that the areas of emphasis stand out” (Getlein 127).

The man, whose face we cannot see, is almost completely hidden in the dark shadows. Like the bird, this “night hawk” is camouflaged by the low light and shadows in such a way that he almost vanishes into the night. With his distance from the couple, the impression is that the man is mysterious, bad or even sinister. With the absence of a door, to the outside, the people seem to be trapped or isolated. The other buildings and sidewalks are also examples of subordination by the artist, de-emphasizing the importance of the surroundings so that the diner becomes the strongest focal point in the

painting.
Edward Hopper creates a feeling of solitude by creating layers of separation. The subjects in Nighthawks are all together in the diner. However, they are not interacting with each other. They seem to be in their own space lost in their own thoughts. The couple is sitting next to each other but we can tell by their body language and facial expressions that they are not engaging each other. They are together but separate, as is the other patron. The repetition of rectangular shapes and horizontal lines create a strong sense of structure further adding to the feeling of isolation. The diner has no visible entrance which adds to the sense of alienation. Having a layer of glass between the audience the diner creates another level of separation. The contrast of the light within the diner and the darkness of the city further divide the scene (J. Cooper). All these layers of separation create a sense of isolation giving the viewer a feeling of loneliness. When asked about Nighthawks Hopper said “unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city.” (Druik, 58).