Nighthawks: An Image From 1942illustrated By Edward Hopper

“Nighthawks” is an image from 1942illustrated by Edward Hopper, which depicts three people, who seem to be customers, sitting at the counter of a small, outdoor, coffee shop. It also depicts and older man who seems to be the server behind the counter. Its night time in an urban area and all the surrounding shops are closed. The actions, background, and relationships in the image prove that the intended purpose of this image is to persuade “nighthawks” to stop by the coffee shop. One can conclude that this image was developed to publicize the new coffee shop in the area.

The actions of the nighthawks picture are intended to give consumers a sense of friendship or romance when thinking of the coffee shop. For example the man and the woman sitting together in the far corner are interacting and being friendly with one another. The idea is to make people feel as though the coffee shop is a friendly and accepting space. Another example would be the man sitting alone across from the couple. Edward Hopper wants consumers to know that you can come alone and not feel like an outcast. The coffee shop is intended for all “nighthawks”, whether it is a couple or loner. Hopper also adjusts the background of the image to make the coffee

The coffee shop sits across from what seems to be a bus stop and there are no people on it. There are other shops surrounding the coffee shop but they all appear to be closed; the lights are off and there is no traffic. Hopper purposely made the surrounding areas of the coffee shop dull, making the coffee shop the focal point of the image. Hopper also makes the name of the coffee shop noticeable, but leaves the surrounding shops blank. Edward Hopper’s message to the consumers is that at night, when nothing else in town is open, the coffee shop is. In a sense he’s establishing a sense of reliability for the coffee shop. Hopper also communicates too consumers through the relationships in the