Café Terrace at Night
Vincent van Gogh · 1888
Why it's great
A warm yellow glow from a café spills onto cobblestones beneath a deep blue night sky full of stars. Van Gogh painted this in Arles, France, and it was among the first times he painted night without using black. The contrast of orange light against blue is a joy to the eye. It still makes people want to sit down and enjoy an evening there.
👀 Look closer!
Find the stars above the cafe. Why do you think the painter didn't use any black?
Where to see it
📍 Kröller-Müller MuseumEde, Netherlands
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Vincent van Gogh was born in a small village in the Netherlands and worked as a teacher and art dealer before becoming a painter at age 27. He lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paris, and finally the sunny south of France, where his colors grew brighter and bolder. He painted more than 800 paintings in about a decade, yet sold almost none while alive. After his death at 37, his brother's family helped make him one of the most loved artists in history.
