Which painting by Edward Hopper shows the lonely, quiet stillness of roadside motels on long drives?

• A. Gas
• B. Western Motel
• C. Nighthawks
• D. Automat

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how Hopper uses setting, light, and emptiness to convey solitude on the road. Western Motel fits this mood best because it centers on a roadside motel along a long highway, with an otherwise quiet foreground and a stark, simplified exterior that emphasizes distance. The glow from indoor lighting contrasts with the darker exterior, amplifying a sense of isolation and transience—moments on a long drive rather than in a bustling town. The scene often feels sparse, with little human activity, so the focus is on the stillness and the impression of drifting through time and space.

Other Hopper works show related loneliness in different contexts: a rural gas station by a lonely road, a late-night urban diner, or a solitary figure inside a city lunchroom. While these images share Hopper’s quiet mood, they aren’t about roadside motels on long drives, so they don’t capture the same specific feeling of transitory solitude along the highway.