Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American painter best remembered for his eerily realistic depictions of solitude in contemporary American life.
Born in Nyack, New York, Hopper studied commercial art and painting in New York City. One of his teachers, artist Robert Henri, encouraged his students to use their art to "make a stir in the world." Henri, an influence on Hopper, motivated students to render realistic depictions of urban life. Henri's students, many of whom developed into important artists, became known as the Ashcan School of American art.
He derived his subject matter from the common features of American life — gas stations, motels, the railroad, or an empty street.
The best known of these paintings, Nighthawks (1942), shows the lonely customers frequenting a downtown all-night diner. The diner's harsh electric lights set it off from the gentle night outside. The diners, seated at stools around the counter, are similarly isolated from one another, reflecting on themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper