E. Hopper (1882-1967) : Foremost painter of American realism. Influenced by famed realists such as Goya and Manet; he incorporated their flat colors and feel into his strong geometric forms. His paintings often had a strong feeling of loneliness or emptiness. Nighthawks (1942), his most famous painting, depicts people in a late-night diner. It's an image so powerful that it's entered the pop-culture vocabulary - you've seen this painting.