Why it matters
Four people sit in a brightly lit diner late at night, seen through its large window, while the street outside lies dark and deserted. It has been called Hopper's best-known work; asked about its loneliness, he said: 'Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city.'
Did you know?
- Within months of its completion the Art Institute of Chicago bought it for $3,000.
- According to Hopper's own record book, the intended title was Night Hawks and it was finished on 21 January 1942.
- It may have been inspired by a Hemingway short story.
Based on the Wikipedia article Nighthawks (Hopper) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
