Notes

You, Me And Hopper’s Nighthawks: The Truth
a few weeks ago, they asked for me to compose an essay on a painting by Hopper as well as the Nighthawks and I, being a good researcher, went to inform me. Since it is generally known or at the least learned from experience, that to understand a painting, one must know its history, the author and above all the context in the which it was painted. It is surely something universal, transcendent to the space and time, and therefore readable in the midst of many centuries. However, the interpretations alter, as does the way society and the world evolve and what used to be clearly seen, perhaps several years after, is not evident. What was not considered before, today could reveal the work to us in a different manner.

Re-defining a work over time
This is a bit like what I imagine happens when you look at the work of Hopper's " Nighthawks" which was closed by the bar at late at night, with that window that resembles an aquarium, from the same position as the characters he that are observed.

I believe that in this painting, Hopper wanted to give space to the viewer, inviting him to observe the silent tranquil, precise and serene scene that we are presented by the darkness.

This space, conceived to be a place for active viewing, is perhaps the keystone that allows the work to be reinterpreted throughout time and, consequently, to remain timeless, eternal contemporary, and modern.

The piece, which was created in 1942, is not immediately attributable to a precise time period, but it seems that the date of its creation can change depending on the changing viewer, depending on the exact time at which the work is observed.

In my opinion this is the most important aspect of reading, the time and space occupied by the observer that Hopper wanted to create.

I'll explain.

In my research for information and news about Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able to be aware of how many people have described it by highlighting these elements:

"[...] the feeling of emptiness of an environment whose glistening patina begins to give way [...] The distinctively commercial character of the myths is that they peel off their masks and show a displaced reality, without reliable sources of reference , immobilized by uncertainty and a lack of morality. "

The night and the transformation
I believe this interpretation is a little ambiguous and, therefore, it's a interpretation provided from the socio-cultural context and by the dating that is attributed to the work that took place in it was the United States between the 40s and 50s, in the economic boom which redefined the social and cultural values in the life of people, a society that is even a bit bourgeois where nightclubs are viewed as places of loneliness or despair.

It's a little true, but somewhat not.

When I first saw this painting, and without having studied it, it brought me a lot of peace and joy, thanks to its bright contrast and its nighttime stillness.

Maybe, coming from an extremely noisy and crowded city, nighttime is one of the times when I can experience the city in a more peaceful way: fewer people around, fewer cars, less noise, more spaces between the streets to make the most of, and where to stay , under the starless urban sky. The night is a different meaning to me than those who went to bars in The United States during the 40s When the sun sets down the city changes its face, the streets become more free and easy.

It is impossible to ignore the way society has evolved through more than a half century of cultural and social changes, that occurred between Pop as well as Rock culture, between the popular psychedelic scene and the 2000s.

Personally, as a child in the 90s, I was also a night-time kid, and by growing up I am referring to all the "formative" experiences that the night brought me. For me it is always normal to go out at night, often walking through the neighborhood on Saturdays looking for the most memorable nightclub, dancing till dawn, riding a motorbike or driving around in search of the last bar that is open you can grab a croissant or hot pizza, where to drink the last glass and smoke the last cigarette before dawn came. Perhaps from the 80s to the present, nightlife stopped in a way that scared those who stayed the house (let's not forget the jazz movement, anti-prohibitionism and the cursed Poets who were all great night owls) and has since become the place where the majority of people of the world find tranquility and security of the other nighthawks.

Hopper's modern realism
Today, Hopper's painting is reminiscent of many scenes of real day life. It makes me almost happy and, in all likelihood, sympathetic, with the final three characters who engage in a chat while the bartender clears the bar in order to conclude the bar and begin a new. People who are nocturnal seek peace in the solitude of their nightly companions. They contemplate their lives, watching them through a glass . They form a group of the night, welcoming everyone , and never judging anyone. edward hopper nighthawks is no coincidence that in the most ancient ancestral civilizations such as the Indian one that the hour and a half before dawn is called Brahmamuhurta which is also known as the time of Brahma which is the ideal time to dedicate oneself to meditation, prayer studying, and contemplation. In this space of time the energies are more acute as well as intense but with an ethereal, spiritual focus.


I don't see any solitude or emptiness in Hopper's painting; I saw more of it in the streets that were gentrified in the night quarters, as even the right-thinking citizens began drinking in the evening.

In other words, the most popular and historic areas had to be turned into showcases for the consumer; and the spontaneous aggregations of people in the square had to arrange themselves into lines waiting to be seated; and the music of the drums that played on the the street was drowned out by police sirens. It is a worry for me now that nighttime is shattered by its mystical, timeless ambience and by the fact that it is an opportunity for aggregation of lone wolves, and becoming an unintentional and productive element of the system, demanding the highest level of professionalism and clarity even in the darkest parts in the city.

Website: https://openartimages.com/search/edward-hopper