few weeks ago they asked I write an article on one of the paintings by Hopper, one of the Nighthawks and I, being an experienced researcher, was able to inform me. It is well-known or at the least learned from experience, that to understand a painting, one must know its history, the author and most importantly the context within the context in which Hopper painted it. Art is definitely something universal, transcendent to the space and time, making it accessible even over the course of hundreds of years. However, the interpretations change, along with how society and the world change, and what previously could be clearly seen, perhaps decades after, is not as obvious. What was malding before is now revealing the process to us in a completely different way.

Re-meaning a work through time

This is similar to what I think happens when you see the work of Hopper’s ” Nighthawks” that was shut at the bar at evening, and in the window wich looks like the inside of a fish tank, in the position of characters observed.

I believe that in this work, Hopper would have wanted to provide space for the viewer to allow him to look at the silent tranquil, precise and serene scene that we are presented by the night.

This space, conceived for an active viewer could be the keystone, which allows the painting to change throughout time and, consequently, to remain timeless, eternal contemporary, and contemporary.

The piece, which was created in 1942, isn’t immediately attributable to an exact date however it appears that the date of its creation can change depending on the changing viewers, based on the time in which the piece is seen.

My opinion is that this is what is essential to reading, the space dedicated to the reader Hopper wanted to create.

I’ll explain.

Researching information and news on Hopper’s ” Nighthawks” I was able to observe how many describe it by highlighting these elements:

“[…] the solitude, the feeling of emptiness of an environment whose glistening patina starts to lose its luster. […] The uniquely commercial element, the false myths take off their masks and show a displaced reality, without valid points of reference Isolated by doubt and a lack of morality. ”

Night and transformation

I think this interpretation is partial which means that it’s an interpretation influenced by the social context and by the date associated with the work of it was the United States between the 40s and 50s, in the period of economic growth that was redefining the social and cultural values in the lives of the people who lived in a society which is even a bit bourgeois, where nightclubs are viewed as places of solitude and despair, as well as a sense of emptiness.

This is somewhat true and it’s not the whole truth.

First time that I saw the painting without having studied, it gave me joy and peace, with its vibrant contrast and nocturnal stillness.

If I’m from the midst of a huge, noisy and bustling city, night is one of those times when I can experience the city with more peace there are fewer people and fewer vehicles as well as less noise. There are also more space between the streets to appropriate, the best place to be, beneath the night sky that is starless. The night has a very different meaning to me than those who frequented bars in The United States during the 40s: when the sun goes down, the city transforms its face, the streets are more open and easy.

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 and Rock culture, and between the popular psychedelic scene as well as the decade 2000.

Personally, as a child of the 90s, have also grown up at night, and by growing up I’m referring to everything “formative” experiences that the night brought me. For me it is always common to be out at night, often walking through the neighborhood on weekends, searching for the most memorable party, dancing until dawn, riding a motorbike or car to locate the last bar open you can grab a croissant or hot pizza or hot pizza, and then where to sip the last glass of wine and light the last cigarette before dawn arrived. Perhaps from the 80s afterward, the night no longer from frightening those who stayed the house (let’s keep in mind the anti-prohibitionism movement, jazz music and even the notorious Cursed Poets, all perfect evening owls) and it became the cradle where many personalities of society find the comfort and peace of other nightclubs.

Hopper’s contemporary realism

The painting of Hopper today reminds me of many scenes of real day life. It make me feel satisfied and compassionate, especially with the three main characters, who exchange a chat while the bartender cleans the bar to close the day and then open another. The nocturnes want to rest in the silence of their nocturnal companions, contemplate their lives, watching them through a glass . They gather as a tribe of the night, accepting everyone , and never judging anyone. It’s not a coincidence that in the most ancient civilisations, such as the Indian one the time between midnight and sunrise is known as Brahmamuhurta, or time of Brahma, the best moment to commit oneself to meditation, prayer studying, and contemplation. In this time, the energies are more acute as well as intense but with tranquil, spiritual intensity.

I don’t see any solitude or empty space in Hopper’s painting. I saw more of it in the gentrified streets of the night quarters, since even the right-thinking people started drinking in the evening.

That’s why even the most famous and oldest areas had to be turned into consumer showcases; and the spontaneous aggregations of people who gathered in the square were required to arrange themselves in line, waiting for their turn; and the music of the drums that played on the the street was slowed by police sirens. It is a worry for me now, that the night is desnatured by its sacred timeless atmosphere and by the fact that it is an occasion of aggregation for individuals, and by becoming an unintentional and productive element of the system that demands the highest level of professionalism and clarity even from the darkest corners of the city.