Edward Hopper (1882-1967) painted a world long gone. Or is it?
His most famous painting, generally known as “Nighthawks at the Diner,” has been studied and parodied for almost eighty years. But never have we examined it in a time like this. How does it resonate with you today? What does it say during a crisis such as our own?
Another of his paintings is “Hotel Window.” It has not been as well known but it may gain in popularity. Does it say anything to you?
With Nighthawks, it resonates with me because there is nobody outside except for the 3 customers and the worker. The couple are together but the other man is sitting at the opposite side of the room; social distancing, and quarantine.
Hotel window is a perfect painting for this situation; stuck at home alone, looking out the window wishing to be outside but you can’t because nobody is allowed outside unless they absolutely have to.
With Nighthawks, it resonates with me because there is nobody outside except for the 3 customers and the worker. The couple are together but the other man is sitting at the opposite side of the room; social distancing, and quarantine.
Hotel window is a perfect painting for this situation; stuck at home alone, looking out the window wishing to be outside but you can’t because nobody is allowed outside unless they absolutely have to.
It’s odd, isn’t it, that something so old can seem so appropriate to today.
People from several different angles are immersed in their own spiritual world, without any communication. Our life is the same now. People are isolated from each other, can not communicate too much, keep distance, there are no people in the streets of the city, everything is not like the prosperity before
Empty… but behind the walls?
Now during this period, I feel like the Nighthawks, the United States is shrouded in misery. Outside the restaurant in the painting, the streets of the city are empty, and the three people in the restaurant did not talk to each other or looked at others. Isn’t this the case in the US now? All restaurants are empty and there are almost no people on the street. Everyone doesn’t want to talk to others, and getting closer is even more disallowed.
Yes. We need contact yet can’t have it.
I found out that Edward Hopper completed his famous painting “Nighthawks at the Dinner”in 1942. Although, the painting was completed in 1942 it has a lot of similarities with today’s world. We can see even in 2020 that there are very few people in the restaurants and nobody is walking outside because everyone is scared out of the situation. We are maintaining a social distancing so that we do not get affected by coronavirus.
Another of his painting “Hotel Window” shows the picture of my own life now where I look outside of my window everyday. I pray to god for a better tomorrow so that we all can go back to our everyday normal life.
Such a different time, 1942. In the midst of World War II. yet in some ways so similar to today!
The painting “Nightwalks at the Diner” makes me feel the isolation that is currently happening with todays pandemic. Although called “Nightwalks”, there’s no one walking on the sidewalk, just a few people in the diner. It is kind of lonely other that the four people shown inside the restaurant.
My feelings are much the same.
“Hotel Window” hits the nail even more on the head with the current isolation situation. As portrayed, there is only one girl staring out the window in the room. It reminds me of what I’d do sometimes on days when I’m bored and want to get some fresh air.
It really is a painting for today, isn’t it? I suspect Hopper’s popularity is going to increase dramatically due to this pandemic.
The painting, “Nighthawks at the Diner” reminds me of how restaurants looked like before the lock down, that is after the outbreak. By looking at the painting, it makes me think that it is natural for us to keep our distance away from others.
The “Hotel Window” gave me a sense of someone waiting for something great to come but it’s too dark to see.
I wonder if that’s our situation now, waiting, but it’s too dark to see….
“Night Hawks” painting is relevant to this time period and crisis that we are in. History tends to repeat itself. Everyone seems to be so isolated in their own worlds. People tend to take things for granted. This painting tends to skew towards the times before the pandemic and hows social everyone used to be…
It is funny how little things change as things change.