Edward Hopper's Nighthawks isn't exactly an underdog of art. Almost everyone knows it, although some people overinterpreted it in art class. Hanging a print of this picture in your room is actually a bit silly. But I've loved it for a long time. It radiates a peculiar atmosphere. A special kind of loneliness. I always imagine it shows a Sunday in a bar. A day when hardly anyone normally goes to a bar. Only lonely people. My best friend at the time decided to move to Montreal after completing his hotel training. He wanted to work in a star-rated hotel there and improve his French and English. I was sad to see him leave, but I was also happy for him because it was a great opportunity. I wanted to give him a parting gift. I knew he loved Nighthawks too; we talked about it often. He always said the two people sitting next to each other at the bar were us. The two of us in absolute solitude—that was my interpretation. Beautiful loneliness. On the day we left, I took the painting with me as a gift to give it to him. He had also brought a gift: the same print of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. It hung in my room for years.
