In Class: "Reading" the visual

I think that the image, Nighthawks, makes me think of being lonely. I feel that since the colors are dark, the image seems kind of dreary, and the people in the image have nothing else to do, besides drink late on a corner of the streets. I think that the guy that is alone at the bar, probably has issues, that no one notices. I feel sad for him, that he is alone that late at night. I think the other couple is on a date and the man or bartender? behind the counter looks like he is on the prowl about to hit on the girl. There is no cars in the street which also makes me think that this setting definitely occurred late during the night. I feel like the artist maybe was trying to maybe show people how sad and maybe pathetic people look late at night like this, because he does make these peoples night lives seem very dead and unlively.

Overall, I think that this image is maybe trying to tell the story of lonliness. The couple on the date seem to be mellow and bored, which makes me think that even though they are accompanying each other, their facial expressions make them seem alone. The man alone sitting at the corner of the counter also looks very alone. He is wearing a hat and a jacket, and onlookers can not see his face, but his body language (he is kind of slouched over) makes me feel bad for him. The streets are empty and it is late at night, which if I picture a place like that, it just seems so sad and lonely. The counters of the bar are very clean, which probably means the bar either never has any customers, or the man behind the counter has already cleaned up for the night. The man behind the counter must also be very lonely, becauase he is creeping in on the couple. This makes me think of maybe a sad time in a community somewhere, and it gives me a feeling of lonliness and I feel bad for the people in the picture.

The colors used in this painting are dark and dull, which made me feel sad and lonely. The dark colors help show that it is night time, but the only light is the light from the bar. There is no street lights to liven up the mood. Also the men are wearing dark color suits and dark hats, which also helps give the lonliness vibe. The only bright colors of the painting are the reflection of lights from the bar on the sidewalk, and the offwhiteish, yellow wall in the bar. Also the bartender or worker behind the counter is wearing white, which doesn't make me feel as bad for him. The girl in the picture is wearing a red dress, which sort of stands out, but still kind of blends in to the darkness of the background.

I first notice the couple at the bar and the bartender. They stand out because they are right by the bright wall of the bar, which catches my eye, since the rest of the picture is dark. I notice that all of the people in this picture are slouched over and by what the people are wearing, this probably was depicting a time period from a while ago.

The image is trying to make me feel, sad and maybe feel bad for the people in the picture. I don't want to live my adulthood by hanging out around empty streets at bars late at night. These people do not seem the happiest and I would not want that for myself. It would be a whole other story if these people were up dancing around, but they are not. The artist of this picture purposely placed the people in this picture where they are, to make me feel bad for them.