NIght Cafe in Arles Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Vincent van Gogh – NIght Cafe in Arles
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Painter: Vincent van Gogh
Location: Private Collection
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According to Van Gogh himself, the painting Night Café was created to convey the effect of looking at the surroundings of a public establishment through the eyes of a drunken man whose thoughts, understanding of what was going on, and reason were clouded by inebriated drunkenness. The painting was made on industrial primed canvas. The painting depicts the interior of a cafe. The accent of the central background is the curtains carelessly drawn by Van Gogh’s light hand.
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Description of Van Gogh’s painting Night Cafe
According to Van Gogh himself, the painting Night Café was created to convey the effect of looking at the surroundings of a public establishment through the eyes of a drunken man whose thoughts, understanding of what was going on, and reason were clouded by inebriated drunkenness.
The painting was made on industrial primed canvas. The painting depicts the interior of a cafe. The accent of the central background is the curtains carelessly drawn by Van Gogh’s light hand. This carelessness of all lines and gives a sense of light intoxication, and even a certain vertigo.
Surprisingly accurately conveyed the artist, the feeling that the visitors, also depicted on the canvas. Five customers whom fate has brought to this night institution for various reasons, are seated at tables along the walls. The tables are arranged in such a way that a waiter in a white suit is able to serve each of the visitors without any problem.
In the picture it is not possible to see the outlines of the visitors’ faces or the lines of the interior. Apparently the same is seen by those who decided to visit the cafe that night.
At the center of the picture is a billiard table, to which, on this night, visitors do not hurry to approach to play a game. A great deal of alcohol is depicted in the background of the painting. Apparently with this, Van Gogh gives another sense of the purpose of people coming to this café. Van Gogh depicts this painting through the eyes of a visitor sitting at the very end of the room, observing everything that is going on in this "hazy" room.
The predominance of green in the painting is not accidental. It is that shade of green that gives a sense of self-destruction and loneliness. At the same time, the bright red walls give a sense of unease, fear and anxiety, of which the unhappy visitors will soon forget for a while.
Van Gogh’s Night Café is a place where everyone can pour out their troubles with a shot, another cheap and not so cheap cognac or whiskey. Moreover, each customer portrayed by Van Gogh seems to have his own particular life story, radically different from the story of another customer who happens to be in the night cafe on the same night.
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The artist placed the central focus on the large billiard table, which occupies a significant portion of the foreground. Around it are scattered tables and chairs, occupied by figures whose faces remain largely obscured or rendered in profile, suggesting anonymity and detachment. A server, clad in white, stands near the table, seemingly engaged in an activity that is not immediately apparent. The arrangement of these individuals suggests a casual gathering, yet their postures and expressions convey a sense of isolation rather than conviviality.
Above the billiard table hangs a clock, its dark face adding to the somber atmosphere. A row of bottles sits on a shelf behind the server, hinting at the consumption of alcohol and perhaps contributing to the overall mood of melancholy or dissipation. The walls are painted in a saturated red-orange hue, which intensifies the feeling of confinement and claustrophobia.
The painting’s subtexts revolve around themes of urban alienation and the psychological impact of modernity. The artificial lighting suggests a world divorced from nature, while the anonymity of the figures underscores their disconnection from one another. The intense colors and distorted perspective contribute to a sense of emotional turmoil, hinting at underlying anxieties or unspoken tensions within this public space. It is not merely a depiction of a place; it seems to be an exploration of the psychological state of those who inhabit it – a feeling of loneliness and disorientation amidst the bustle of urban life. The scene evokes a sense of quiet desperation, suggesting that even in a crowded environment, individuals can experience profound isolation.