Notes

The Hidden Thriller Behind Hopper’s Nighthawks
few weeks ago they asked I write an article about the work of Hopper as well as the Nighthawks and I, being an excellent researcher, went to find out. Since it is generally known or at the least learned from experience, that in order to appreciate a painting it is necessary to know the history of the painting and the painter, and, most importantly, the context within the which it was painted. It is surely an universal thing, that transcends time and space, making it is recognizable after hundreds of years. The interpretations, however, are subject to change as society and the world evolve and what was once able to be clearly seen, perhaps decades ago, is now so obvious. What was never considered prior to is now revealing our work in a completely different way.

Re-defining a work over time
It's a little like what I think happens when you view the work of Hopper's " Nighthawks" which was closed by the bar at night, in that window wich looks like an aquarium, from the location of the characters that are who were observed.

I believe that , in this work, Hopper was trying to open up space to the viewer, allowing him to look at the silent serene, well-detailed and peaceful scene given to us by the dark night.

This space, conceived for an active audience may be the most important element that allows the work to be reinterpreted over time and consequently to remain timeless, indestructible, modern, even very modern.

The painting, made in 1942, cannot be immediately attributable to an exact historical moment however it appears that its dating is changeable according to the changes in the viewers, based on the time in which the piece is seen.

In my opinion this is what is essential to reading, the space dedicated by the observer that Hopper desired to create.

I'll explain.

Researching information and news on Hopper's " Nighthawks" I was able observe how many describe the film by highlighting these aspects:

"[...] the solitude, the feeling of emptyness of the world that's shimmering patina begins to give way [...] The distinctly commercial element, the false myths take off their masks and show a displaced reality, without reliable sources of reference Isolated by doubt and unconscience. "

The night and the transformation

I am of the opinion that this interpretation is partial and, therefore, it is an interpretation given by the social context as well as by the dating that is attributed to the work that took place in it was the United States between the 40s and 50s, during the boom in economics that redefined cultural and social assets that were a part of the lives of the people who lived in a society which is even a bit bourgeois where nightclubs are viewed as places of loneliness and despair, as well as a sense of emptiness.

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

The first time I saw this painting, without having studied, it gave me lots of joy and peace, with its bright contrast and quiet nocturnal quality.

Maybe, coming from an extremely noisy and crowded metropolis, the night is one of those times where I can enjoy the city in a more peaceful way there are fewer people more cars as well as less noise. There are also more open spaces to choose, and which place to rest under the night sky that is starless. Night has a completely different meaning for me than those who went to bars in America. United States during the 40s as the sun's path down and the city is transformed into its appearance and streets become more open and easy.

We must not forget how society has evolved over the course of more than half a century of cultural and social changes, in between Pop as well as Rock culture, between psychedelic movement in the 1990s and 2000s.

As a girl in the 90s, I was also a night-time kid and by that I mean all the "formative" experiences that the night gave me. It is for me common to be out after dark, often walking through the streets, and on Saturdays , looking for the perfect nightclub, dancing till dawn, riding a motorbike or car to locate the last bar that is open to grab the croissant or hot pizza or hot pizza, and then where to sip the last glass and light the last cigarette before sunrise was set. Maybe from the 80s onwards, the night stopped from frightening those who stayed their homes (let's keep in mind the anti-prohibitionism movement, jazz music and the notorious Cursed Poets all of them perfect night owls) and it has become the place where many of the prominent personalities of the world find tranquility and security of the other nightclubs.

Hopper's contemporary Realism
Today, Hopper's painting is reminiscent of many scenes of real modern life. It makes me almost proud and in any case compassionate, especially with the final three characters who engage in a chat while the bartender is cleaning the bar to end the day and then open another. Those nocturnes seek rest in the silence of their nocturnal companions, meditate on their lives observing their surroundings through a glass, and gather as a tribe of the night, welcoming everyone , and never judging anyone. It's no accident that in the most ancient primitive civilizations like the Indian one that the half hour before dawn is called Brahmamuhurta, or time of Brahma which is the ideal moment to commit oneself to prayer, meditation, study and introspection. In this space of time the energy is more intense as well as intense but with an ethereal, spiritual focus.

There is edward hopper nighthawks nor emptiness in Hopper's painting; I saw more of it in the gentrified streets of the night quarters, since even the right-thinking people started going out at night.

That's why even the oldest and most popular areas were transformed into marketplaces for consumers; and the spontaneous aggregations of people in the square had to arrange themselves in line waiting to be seated while the sound of the drums along the other side of the street was drowned out by the police sirens. It is a worry for me now, that the night is shattered by its sacred timeless atmosphere, by its being a moment 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 from the darkest corners of the city.

Here's my website: https://openartimages.com/search/edward-hopper