Van Gogh's 'Café Terrace at Night': A Masterpiece of Nocturnal Light

Vincent van Gogh painted 'Café Terrace at Night' in September 1888, depicting the Café de la Nuit on Place du Forum in Arles, Provence. He had moved to Arles earlier that year, hoping to establish an artists' community and eagerly awaiting Paul Gauguin's arrival. Inspired by a Guy de Maupassant novel describing a night café, van Gogh first made a pen-and-ink drawing but insisted on painting the scene directly at night to break from conventional night scenes with poor yellowish light. The painting uses thick impasto and visible brushstrokes to create a vibrant, textured surface, especially in the mosaic-like sky. Van Gogh captured the reflection of gaslight on the horse and passersby, aiming for a decorative rather than expressive effect, unlike the Impressionists. The composition uses strong perspective lines converging toward the central drainage channel, guiding the eye to the waiter. He contrasted two light sources: the artificial gaslight of the café and the natural starlight. The interior of the awning is rendered in rich yellows. True to Impressionist ideals, van Gogh avoided black, writing triumphantly to his brother Theo: 'A night scene without the use of black, only beautiful blues, violets, and greens.' The painting is held at the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller in Otterlo, Netherlands.