The molecule of the title Schiff base compound, C17H16N4O4, has crystallographic twofold rotation symmetry. The nitro and CH=N—C substituents are coplanar with the benzene ring in each half of the molecule. These two planar units are parallel, but extend in opposite directions from the central methylene bridge, so there is no intramolecular π-stacking. Instead, molecules pack with approximately parallel interleaved benzene rings providing intermolecular π-stacking, the centroid-to-centroid separation being 3.7196 (18) Å.