Notes

The Secret of Hopper’s Nighthawks That No One is Talking About
A few weeks ago, they requested I write an article about one of the paintings by Hopper as well as the Nighthawks and I, as an experienced researcher, was able to inform me. Because it is known, or at least is learn by experience, that to comprehend a painting it is necessary to know the history of the painting and the painter, and, most importantly, the context within which he painted it. edward hopper nighthawks is certainly an universal thing, that transcends the space and time, making it readable over the course of centuries. However, the interpretations are subject to change as the world and society change, and what previously could be clearly seen, perhaps years ago, is now as obvious. What was never considered prior to, today could reveal the process to us in a totally different manner.

Re-defining a piece of work in the course of time
This is a bit like what I think happens when you see Hopper's " Nighthawks", closed at the bar, late at late at night, with that window wich looks like a fish tank, in the location of the characters that are that are observed.

I think that in this work, Hopper would have wanted to provide space to the viewer, inviting him to observe the silent tranquil, precise and serene scene that we are presented by the dark night.

This particular space, created for an active viewer could be the keystone, which allows the painting to be reinterpreted over time and consequently to remain timeless, eternal, modern, even very contemporary.

The piece, which was created in 1942, cannot be immediately attributable to an exact date However, it is believed that its dating is changeable with the change of the viewers, based on the moment at which the piece is seen.


I believe this is what is essential to reading, the space dedicated to the reader Hopper desired to create.

I'll explain.

Researching information and news on Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able be aware of how many people have described it by highlighting these elements:

"[...] the loneliness, the sense of being empty in an environment whose glistening patina starts to lose its luster. [...] The distinctively commercial element, the false myths take off their masks and reveal a displaced reality, without valid points of reference in the face of uncertainty and a lack of morality. "

Night and transformation
I believe this interpretation is a little ambiguous, that is, it is an interpretation given in the context of society as well as by the date that is attributed to the work that took place in The United States between the 40s and 50s, in the economic boom which redefined the social and cultural assets in the life of people who lived in a society which is even a bit bourgeois where night bars are seen as places of solitude and despair, as well as a sense of emptiness.

It's true in a certain degree, and somewhat not.

The first time I saw the painting without having studied it, it gave me happiness and peace with its vibrant contrast and nighttime stillness.

Maybe, coming from an extremely noisy and crowded city, night is one of those times when I can experience the city with more peace: fewer people around, fewer cars as well as less noise. There are also more space between the streets to choose, and the best place to be, beneath the starless urban sky. Night has a completely different meaning to me than the people who drank in bars across America. United States during the 40s When the sun sets down, the city transforms its appearance, and the streets are more open and simple.

We cannot ignore how society has evolved in more than half a century of cultural and social changes. This is the case that occurred between Pop as well as Rock culture, and between the popular psychedelic scene and the 2000s.

As a girl of the 90s, have also grown up at night and by that I'm referring to all the "formative" experiences that the night brought me. For me , it's common to be out after dark, often walking through the streets, and on Saturdays looking for the perfect party, dancing until the early hours, riding a motorbike or car to find the last bar open you can grab a hot pizza or croissant and where you can drink the last glass and smoke the last cigarette before dawn arrived. Maybe from the 80s to the present, nightlife stopped frightening those who stayed at their homes (let's not forget the jazz movement, anti-prohibitionism and the cursed Poets who were all great night owls) and it became the place where many of the prominent personalities are able to enjoy the comfort and peace of other nighthawks.

Hopper's modern realism
The painting of Hopper today reminds me of many scenes of real day life. It make me feel happy and, in all likelihood, compassionate, especially with the three main characters, who exchange a chat while the bartender is cleaning the bar to end the bar and begin a new. Those nocturnes seek rest in the solitude of their nocturnal companions, reflect on their lives by watching them through a glass . They form a group of the night, accepting everyone and judging no one. It's no accident that in the oldest civilisations, such as the Indian one that the hour and a half before dawn is called Brahmamuhurta or the time of Brahma the most ideal time to devote oneself to meditation, prayer studying, and contemplation. In this time, the energy is more intense, intense but of a calm, spiritual intensity.

I see no solitude or empty space in Hopper's painting. I saw more of it in the gentrified streets of the night quarters, as even the right-thinking folks started going out at night.

That's why even the oldest and most popular areas had to be turned into consumer showcases as the spontaneous gatherings of people in the square had to arrange themselves into lines, waiting for their turn; and the music of the drums on the the street was silenced by the police sirens. This is what worries me today because the night is desnatured by its sacred , timeless atmosphere, by its being an occasion of aggregation for the lone wolves, and is now another uncover productive gear of the system that demands the highest level of professionalism and clarity even in the darkest parts within the cities.

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