The Solitude of Choice: Understanding Edward Hopper and Jean Paul Sartre

Soir Bleu, Edward Hopper, 1914

The Moment I Began to Understand Hopper’s Paintings

     I’ve always admired Edward Hopper’s paintings since childhood. His works have a calm yet cold color palette. However, at that time, I couldn't fully grasp the emotion they evoked.

     It wasn’t until I started working in New York that I began to truly understand his paintings.

     At first, I was caught up in getting settled—learning the ropes, forming relationships, and simply filling my days. But after a few years, a question suddenly arose. Is what I’m doing right now truly the life I want? Is being here a choice that’s best for me, or have I just ended up here by default?

     It was no longer just about quitting my job; it became about choosing the direction of my life and career.

Edward Hopper. Night Windows. 1928

You Can't Have It All 
(i would like to be wrong here)

     I had so many things I wanted to do. I tried not to miss anything, but in the end, I realized you can’t have it all. We often believe that we can "have everything."

     But the truth is, to gain something, we must inevitably let something else go. 
Every time I asked myself that question, I found myself understanding the people in Hopper’s paintings a little more.

     Hopper’s work often revealed the loneliness and alienation of human existence in the midst of rapid urbanization and industrialization. When I was younger, I admired the cool spaces and use of light, but now I understand that these elements also represent the characters' isolation.

Sartre’s View on Existence and Loneliness

     Jean Paul Sartre said, “Existence precedes essence.” More here...

     He described loneliness as an inevitable emotion that arises when we make choices freely. This means that when we are born, we have no inherent essence. Through our choices and actions, we create ourselves. We shape ‘ourselves’ through our actions and decisions.

     Take Nighthawks (1942), for example. The people in the café are looking in different directions, but there’s no interaction between them. The space here doesn’t merely serve as a backdrop—it symbolizes psychological distance.

     Their expressions are ambiguous, and their emotions aren’t clearly expressed. Of course, art can always be interpreted differently, but I feel I understand the emotion these figures are experiencing. It’s not just loneliness; it’s the solitude that comes with the process of finding oneself.

     Loneliness is something we cannot escape. People must define their own existence, and in that process, they inevitably experience solitude. We may try to understand each other, but in the end, we must each walk our own path. This loneliness isn’t just isolation—it’s the solitude of defining and creating who we are.

     Am I doing what I truly want, or am I simply following social expectations or the desires of others? Even when we share the same space, with the same purpose, and walk the same path yet we each walk at our own pace. Ultimately, we live our own lives.

     And sometimes, the city sharpens this inherent loneliness in us.

Walking Around New York

     Sometimes, while walking the streets of New York, I find myself in alleys that feel just like Hopper’s paintings. The blue sky, the red-brick apartments, and the narrow alley bathed in sunlight. As I walk through, I suddenly see the solitude in Hopper’s gaze once again.

     Looking through his eyes, I realize I am not much different from the figures in his paintings.
I am alive in this space, and I am a part of that scene.

Neon Genesis Evangelion and 'Becoming One'

     A digression, but whenever I think about this, I’m reminded of the Third Impact from Evangelion. Through the Third Impact, everyone tried to become one, but when all boundaries were erased, we could no longer exist as individuals. The Third Impact says:

• We can become one.
• We can break down boundaries.
• But in doing so, we cease to exist as ‘me.’

    In the end, we can neither truly become one nor be entirely separate. 

    Humans are inherently lonely beings.


 

Sartre’s Concept of Freedom and Essence

     Sartre’s concept of freedom and essence raises an important question: When we make a choice, is it truly a free decision, or is it influenced by external pressures or expectations?

“Will the path I’ve chosen truly bring me freedom, 

or will it eventually lead me into a deeper trap?”

     This freedom may lead to greater responsibility and loneliness, but it seems unavoidable.

Lorenzo Mattotti, Nell'Ombra, 2020

Leaving and Choosing: What Will We Endure?

     Even up until the moment I left, I still felt as though I was staying. In my heart, the tension and anticipation were stronger than anxiety. There was a tension about directly shaping my life, and a feeling of anticipation for how the road ahead would unfold. Leaving isn’t just about stepping out of one door. It’s about closing old possibilities and opening new ones. And in this process, we inevitably lose something.

We must start over in a new environment.

We must let go of the comfort of the familiar.

We must take a step without knowing whether it’s the better path.

     That’s why leaving isn’t easy. We instinctively try to hold on to comfort, but ultimately, through this choice, we must embrace new possibilities. But in the end, choice isn’t about what we will gain, but about what we are willing to endure. As I made this decision, I realized that the things I had taken for granted were, in fact, the price I paid and endured. That was a crucial part of who I am, and the path I chose has been the process that shaped me.

     We periodically face moments of self-reflection. Choice isn’t just about ‘going to a new place,’ but also about ‘what I will endure right where I am now.’

Photos taken @ 2022 Whitney Museum, Edward Hopper's New York Exhibition