Who painted Café Terrace at Night?

Café Terrace at Night was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1888.

Where can I see Café Terrace at Night?

Café Terrace at Night is held by Kröller-Müller Museum.

What movement is Café Terrace at Night?

Café Terrace at Night is associated with Post-Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Café Terrace at Night?

Museum-quality prints of Café Terrace at Night are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Café Terrace at Night

Vincent van Gogh , 1888

Café Terrace at Night is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum.

About this work

Overview

Vincent van Gogh created the oil work known as Café Terrace at Night in September 1888 while staying in Arles, France. The scene captures a modest street illuminated by the glow of a café’s lanterns, set against a deep blue evening sky dotted with stars. The composition balances the warm yellows of the terrace with the cool darkness beyond, presenting a tranquil nocturnal moment.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a bustling café on the Place du Forum, where patrons sit at outdoor tables beneath gas lamps, their conversation hinted at by the arrangement of chairs and figures. Beyond the terrace, a darker street recedes toward a distant church tower, suggesting a contrast between public conviviality and the solitude of the night, a theme van Gogh explored in his correspondence.

Technique & Style

Van Gogh applied thick, impasto brushstrokes that give the surface a tactile quality, especially in the luminous yellow walls and the swirling night sky. The bold color juxtaposition—vivid yellows against a midnight blue—creates a vivid visual rhythm, while the textured paint layers convey a sense of immediacy and movement within the static scene.

History & Provenance

First exhibited in 1891 under the title Coffeehouse, in the Evening, the work was not signed but is referenced in three of van Gogh’s letters. After changing hands over the decades, it entered the collection of the Kröller‑Müller Museum in Otterlo, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s extensive van Gogh holdings.

Context

The viewpoint in the painting corresponds to the northeastern corner of the actual Place du Forum, a location later restored in the early 1990s to match van Gogh’s depiction. The artist omitted surrounding Roman ruins and focused on the illuminated terrace, emphasizing the interplay of artificial light and night, a subject he pursued in several Arles works.