American Scene Painting

Edward Hopper, The Nighthawks, 1942

American Scene Painting attempted to define and create a style of art unique to the United States, as an answer to the styles emerging in Europe. American Scene Painting included the mainstream and popular painting styles during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Both the American Regionalism and Political Social Realism schools fell under this category and both were influenced by the Ash Can School. This style of painting was realistic and reasserted the traditional values of America whether by being politically critical and pushing for social reform, or by attempting to revive the ideal American dream during the depression years.

Edward Hopper's paintings reflect scenes of emptiness and solitude. He painted both country and city scenes and is known as an artist of the 'vernacular architecture' of the American scene. His work is full of vibrant colors yet his subject matter is full of deserted streets, lonely rural gas stations and usually portrays the feeling of abandonment. In Night Hawks, Hopper paints a 24-hour café with speechless customers, portraying as he does in so many of his works, a haunting sense of isolation.