Though Edward Hopper rarely discussed the symbolism in his work, art historians believe his paintings are deeply emotional portraits about the individual and society. In New York Interior, the artist compresses space and frames a bright interior with the dark silhouette of a window frame. The subject faces away from the viewer, making the painting more about her gesture than her appearance. In Automat, Hopper composes the scene to emphasize the subject’s isolation and hides the light sources. He refers to them with white ovals reflected in an opaque glass window, which contrasts with the bright foreground and directs the viewer’s attention to the  lone figure. In the painting New York Movie, Hopper divides the space with light: on the left, cool light from a black-and-white film contrasts with an otherwise warm color scheme. Hopper uses light to create a mood in his work and, in doing so, he begins to develop a narrative he intends the viewer to complete.