# Please help me ID a painting **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477 "2004-07-16T20:37:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/1 "2004-07-16T20:37:45Z")
The painting I am thinking of shows a sparsely populated diner/coffee house on a lonely street corner at night. There are a couple of patrons at the counter and a cook/server wearing white behind the counter. I am pretty sure this painting is American, probably from the 1940’s. I have seen reproductions of this painting here and there, but have no idea its title, artist, or where it is currently housed. I’m quite certain the painting is popular. While I’m at it, any online resources for folks to search for popular or renowned works of art, without knowing the works artist or title? Thanks for the help! ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/2 "2004-07-16T20:48:12Z")
[“Nighthawks”](http://www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Hopper13.htm) by Edward Hopper (1882-1967). That site I linked to has some pretty good scans, as does [www.abcgallery.com](http://www.abcgallery.com). I admit, it can be frustrating when you know what the painting looks like, but have no idea who painted it or what the title is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/3 "2004-07-16T20:49:16Z")
Edward Hopper’s [_Nighthawks_](http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/modern/75pc_hopper.html), I assume? ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/4 "2004-07-16T20:53:54Z")
Nighthawks it is! **Av8rmike, pulykamell** , thanks for your help. If a wMod happens to wnader by, feel free to close this thread. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/5 "2004-07-16T22:01:39Z")
There’s also this parody, with Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and James Dean called Boulevard Of Broken Dreams which is probably even more common. [![](http://www.biggallery.com/art/AA041096.jpg) ](http://www.biggallery.com/art/AA041096.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/6 "2004-07-16T22:48:37Z")
You should check out some of Hopper’s other works. He’s amazing. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-id-a-painting/255477/7 "2004-07-17T00:00:33Z")
> [@Wartime Consigliori](#): > > 4I have seen reproductions of this painting here and there, but have no idea its title, artist, or where it is currently housed. I’m quite certain the painting is popular. I BELIEVE the painting is housed at Chicago’s Museum of the Art Institute. Seems to me I’ve seen it there in passing, but I couldn’t swear to that (I was on my way to French Impressionists and I remember thinking “Oh, I know that painting…”)