Café Terrace at Night
Café Terrace at Night captures the charm of a quiet evening in Arles, France, where a warmly lit café terrace glows under a starry sky. Van Gogh brings life and warmth to the night scene with vibrant colors and captivating contrasts between light and dark. This painting is one of the first where he used a starry sky as a theme, marking the beginning of his fascination with nightscapes, later culminating in The Starry Night.
1888
About the Artwork
In September 1888, while living in Arles, France, Van Gogh found himself enchanted by the town’s bustling café life, particularly under the night sky. One evening, he set up his easel outside the Place du Forum café and began working on Café Terrace at Night directly on the spot. Capturing the scene’s warmth and mystery, he used vivid yellows, blues, and oranges to bring out the café’s glow in contrast to the darkened street. This outdoor setting gave him a new sense of freedom, and he poured his emotional energy into each brushstroke
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Did You Know
The painting shows an actual café that is open even today in Arles! And it’s now known as, as you may have guessed it, Le Café Van Gogh. It’s preserved in its original style to honor his legacy. Excited to visit this iconic spot? You can soak in the atmosphere just like Van Gogh did. Check it out here
Café Terrace at Night is the first of Van Gogh’s works to feature a star-filled sky. This was a precursor for The Starry Night
Van Gogh originally titled this piece “Café, le soir,” but can you believe it was changed when it was first exhibited? Talk about a name makeover!
