Image source: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/111628/nighthawks
In the pandemic world it is hard to visit a museum, but the Art Institute of Chicago has the digital archive, so this is a great opportunity to “visit” a museum.
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper oil on canvas painting is a classical example of American realism, a style that developed in the United States in the early 20th century. The movement covered not just visual arts, but also music and literature.
It has been suggested that Hopper was inspired by a short story of Ernest Hemingway's (Wikipedia).
At the first glance, one may notice the clean strokes and vivid colours of the cafe and the light outside, but the surroundings are eerie: the street is actually quite dark and the other windows on the streets do not have any signs of life, neither they have very pronounced details.
This work makes me think of loneliness in an environment which seems to be lively (like a cafe in a city). We only see the corner of the cafe, like an aquarium, with random people being locked there, we do not see the entrance door, but we do see the empty bar seats, empty glasses and people who seem quite desperate.
The painting has modified classic perspective: the eyes move around the twisted bar stand which brings the gaze to the same point where we started, the buildings horizontal lines do not match, which brings a similar feelings “broken eights” give in “the Shining” movie or some of David Lynch movies.
I have been feeling a strong connection with this work during the recent year. Today it has been exactly 11 months since my personal pandemic isolation has started. “Nighthawks” perfectly depicts the pandemic world to me: we have been locked at our homes and “the social distance” has been with us for as long as we can remember, the countries randomly open and close borders and the new virus mutations are causing new restrictions.
This painting has been acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago within months of its completion, during the time of WWII. Even though the war was not affecting the United States as much as it hit Europe or Soviets, the world atmosphere has not been too cheerful. This painting shows the melancholy when people have almost no hope for the future, though are still nostalgic about their lives, judging by their outfits.
