Cafe Terrace at Night, Van Gogh
- Oil on linen canvas
- 100% hand-painted
- Reproduction painting
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| Author: | Vincent van Gogh |
|---|---|
| Original Title: | Terrasse du café le soir |
| Type: | Painting |
| Style: | Post-Impressionism |
| Medium | Oil |
| Support: | Canvas |
| Year: | 1888 |
| Located: | Kröller-Müller Museum, Netherland |
Van Gogh painted this scene in September 1888 during his stay in the French city of Arles. There he found inspiration in the nightlife and the serene atmosphere of the southern French terraces. Fascinatingly, the painting depicts a real place: the Place du Forum, which remains almost unchanged today, allowing visitors to sit in the exact café where the artist set up his easel more than a century ago.
The work is an ode to artificial light and the starry night. Van Gogh managed to capture the atmosphere without using black — a revolutionary approach for nocturnal painting in his time. Instead, he used a palette of golden yellows, cobalt blues, and deep greens to convey the warmth of the gaslight and the coolness of the sky. Interestingly, it is believed that the artist subtly hinted at a Last Supper within the composition: twelve figures under the café’s light and a waiter in the center, illuminated like a modern Christ.
Beyond technique, this painting is a manifesto of hope. Van Gogh wrote to his sister that while painting that terrace he felt “a tremendous need to express the beauty of the night.” Today, that emotion remains alive in every brushstroke, making “Café Terrace at Night” one of the most beloved and shared works in all of art history.
Also known as "Café Terrace at Night", this painting stands as one of the most iconic works by Vincent van Gogh. It is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable symbols of his brief yet intensely creative career, where color, light, and emotion reach an almost mystical harmony.
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ARTIST DATA
Vincent van Gogh
| Full Name: | Vincent Willem van Gogh. |
|---|---|
| Birth: | 1853, Netherlands. |
| Death: | 1890, France. |
| Style: | Post-Impressionism. |
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch painter whose work marked a turning point in the history of modern art. His life, as passionate as it was tragic, reflects the constant struggle between creative genius and emotional fragility. Self-taught and deeply sensitive, Van Gogh explored painting as a language of the soul, using color and texture as a vehicle for inner expression. In just a decade of artistic production, he created more than 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings, leaving a legacy that forever transformed the perception of art. His nervous brushstroke, vibrant palette, and unique conception of light anticipated Expressionism and redefined the way we see the world.
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