Cultural alienation in modern art and Edward Hopper

This thesis examines the cultural alienation of the individual in modern society in the works of Edward Hopper from the perspectives of philosophy and sociology. The lonely figures, empty spaces and sharp light-shadow contrasts in Hopper's paintings are analyzed in the light of alienation theories of thinkers such as Rousseau, Hegel, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Fromm, Freud, Sartre and Simmel. Rousseau's critique of detachment from natural life, Marx's theory of alienation due to labor and capitalism, Durkheim's concept of anomie, Weber's rationalized world, Fromm's escape from freedom, Freud's unconscious conflicts, Sartre's existential alienation and Simmel's thoughts on metropolitan man are used to understand the thematic depth of Hopper's works such as "Nighthawks" (1942), "Morning Sun" (1952) and "Office at Night" (1940). Hopper's art visualizes how modern urban life isolates, renders meaningless and de-identifies the individual. In this context, the thesis aims to demonstrate the power of art to express the phenomenon of alienation, while at the same time expanding the dialogue between the theoretical frameworks of thinkers and artistic production. Hopper's melancholic and static compositions mirror not only 20th century American society but also the universal loneliness of modern man.