Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

Among the most classic phenomena of American culture is the diner. The most famous immortalization of such was done in the 1942 Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks, which was painted following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In the painting, we see a diner in New York at night. There are only two patrons, one couple and one guy alone, as well as the diner attendant. The streets outside are empty and even inside the diner loneliness seems to rule. It is as if the estrangement and loneliness of big city living has been caught in a New York minute. The actual location of the diner painted by Hopper has been discussed at some length but no consensus on where in New York it was located has yet been reached.

Nighthawks is probably the most famous Hopper painting. Its eerie urban mood caught a central theme in the existence of city dwellers, just at a time when urbanization starting its global march. The painting has become iconic and has inspired music, television and literature, including episodes of The Simpsons, That 70s Show, the feel of the movie Blade Runner, music by Tom Waits and more. The original can today be found on display at the Art Institute of Chicago but is also availible as an oil painting reproduction.