Prompt:
A cinematic, dreamlike oil painting set inside a quiet roadside diner at night in 1930s America. The diner is dimly lit by soft overhead bulbs and neon glow from the windows, casting reflections across polished metal surfaces and red leather stools. Outside the windows, darkness presses close, the world reduced to night and glass.
At the counter sit two men side by side, unaware of each other, yet bound by fate.
On the left sits Ben, a lean young man in his early twenties with dark, wind-tossed hair and pale, inward-looking eyes. He wears worn work clothes, his posture slightly hunched, hands resting near a cup of untouched coffee. His expression is distant and contemplative, as if listening to something only he can hear.
On the right sits Brother Justin, a tall evangelical minister in his early thirties with neatly combed dark hair and a severe, angular face. He wears a dark clerical suit with withe collar, posture upright and composed. His expression is calm but alert, eyes fixed forward. He does not look at Ben, yet their proximity suggests a connection neither understands.
Behind them, near the diner window, two other men sit together at a small table.
One is a soldier, dressed in a military uniform, posture rigid, face solemn — a figure of discipline, conflict, and future violence.
Beside him sits a man dressed as a magician: wearing a black suit, a white high-collared shirt, and a tall top hat. His presence is theatrical and enigmatic, a figure out of time. His expression is knowing, almost intimate, as if he understands the dream more than the others.
Behind the counter stands a waitress holding a pot of coffee mid-pour. She pauses, looking at the room with quiet certainty. Her face is calm, unreadable. In understated lettering, either spoken or implied, her words hang in the air:
“All prophets are in the house.”
The scene is subtly unreal — reflections don’t align perfectly, shadows linger too long, and the space feels suspended. No one speaks. No one moves. The moment exists outside linear time.
The color palette is restrained and atmospheric: deep reds from the stools, muted chrome highlights, soft yellows from the lights, and cool blues from the night outside. The brushwork is smooth but painterly, emphasizing stillness, reflection, and inevitability.
The mood is prophetic and haunting — a shared dream where past, present, and future converge, and four lives unknowingly align beneath the same roof.
More about All Prophets are in the House
An oil painting in the style of Edward Hopper depicts a dimly lit classic American diner, with muted tones and a somber atmosphere. In the foreground, four men sit at a long, glossy wooden bar. On the left, a man in a military uniform and cap sits at a table, facing the viewer with a thoughtful expression, holding a clear glass. Next to him, a man in a top hat and bowtie sits sideways, gazing towards his counterpart. In the center, a disheveled man with dark, messy hair sits at the bar, holding a white teacup with saucer, his gaze directed downwards. To his right, a clean-shaven man dressed in all black with a white clerical collar looks to the right. Behind the counter, a woman with light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a white short-sleeved top and a pale blue undershirt, holds a black coffee pot. The reflection of lights and objects is visible on the bar surface and the paneling behind the woman. The overall mood is serious and contemplative. At the bottom of the image, the text "All prophets are in the house" is written in white serif uppercase letters. The lighting is low and warm, casting deep shadows and highlighting.
The healer Ben and Brother Justin meet their destiny through a share dream. Inspired by 1930s Carnival, Dust Bowl. By Isobel Blundell
Artist
