Night windows : portraits of loneliness in the frames of Edward Hopper and film noir

Abstract

Loneliness is a common state of feeling as recognizable as any other. Painter Edward Hopper explores the theme of loneliness in the vast majority of his works, pinpointing especially the effect of urbanization and other phenomena that took root in the early to - mid-twentieth century in America. Similarly, the cinematic genre film noir has offered countless portraits of loneliness in and around the city, although focusing more on overt violence and sex than does Hopper. The following project is an exploration of the theme of loneliness through the images of isolated individuals in Edward Hopper’s paintings and films noir in order to explain the rise of alienation in early to mid-twentieth century America.