Van Gogh's Art Cafe Terrace at Night

Running Head: Art

Art 2

Cafe Terrace at Night by Van Gogh

This work was done by an artist called Vincent Van Gogh and completed in September 1888. In his art, he painted the café Terrace at Night. This painting is an oil on canvas, and it is currently housed in the Kroller-Muller Museum located in Otterlo, The Netherlands, in Europe. I physically observed this work on February 17, 2021, and it is still in good physical condition.  

While entering the museum, I bumped into this painting. It was one of Van Gogh’s great works. Subsequently, I moved to engage with the artwork to understand important information about its meaning and significance in modern and traditional concepts. I also wanted to compare it with the six-comparative works of art I studied in class. Equally of relevance was to understand the hidden intention of the art as was intended by the artist.

On the other hand, the picture’s name relayed much about the context and setting; for instance, it was a night scene. From a superficial view, the image shows an establishment where people come to enjoy themselves, make old stories, business deals and take coffee. On the other side, the picture also focuses on beautiful scenes at Night aided by stars and bright sky. 

Besides, I could see small images of people surrounding a table on the terrace—a yellow light from a giant lantern. The lantern lights the terrace, pavements, and façade while some light protrudes over the street’s cobblestones, producing a violet-pink tinge. The painting shows a sidewalk café in France at Night. To the front left is the doorway painted blue, and surrounding it, is a wall that gleams yellow due to the outdoor light. A large awning is attached to the wall, and it covers the tables and diners within the café.

Van Gogh used many cool and warm colors to make the painting. He matched together different colors to form images like stars in the sky, the building made up of soft orange against cruel blue, and yellow is matched with blue to bring lights in the windows. The use of colors was a powerful visual weapon, as is illustrated by the Video of Wong’ https://youtu.be/TrkaGV2VH70. Uniquely, from the image, one can quickly tell whether the individual is a male or a female. Interestingly, the illuminated people closer to the light source depicting a darker impression on individuals distanced away. The use of dark colors in the sky and town demonstrates night-time as supported by” Annapolis.” However, the bright spots of stars attract the viewer to look at the sky.

Moreover, the use of an array of various colors like red, blue, and yellow suggest a feeling of warmth and happiness and draws the eye. Vincent Van Gogh did not show the people’s whole face, probably signifying how little we know one another. Equally, putting light streaks could be indicating the battle between evil and good, that not everyone knows, thus a casual behavior. Pedestrians also demonstrate time and motion elements in the street because they are depicted mid-stride on the way to their residentials; this view is supported by this video “https://youtu.be/4bwyoSont”. The waiter in the café also signifies motion because she moves and has a discussion with customers. The tree also has thought-stroke leaves symbolizing a blowing wind through the streets of France. Paint strokes on the building also indicate texture and plan” Joshua Reynolds.”

Nonetheless, in comparison to Van Gogh’s work and “Jiang Shije,” which we discussed in class, both artists did art painting in 1888. Van Gogh wanted his viewers to have a feeling of something while observing the artwork. He was amongst the first artist in history to show a desire for people to develop emotions while viewing his artistic works. He used a distinctive painting technique called Impasto, which applies thick paint on surfaces. He might be the first person to use such a method. The method was to trigger viewers to feel emotional while looking at his art. His selection of colors and titles were added factors to influence viewers to feel emotional.

On the other hand, Jiang used a limited range of colors than van Gogh, though he was good at line manipulation. Subsequently, Jiang’s painting was not properly visible. The art had fainted images, probably due to a lack of different coloration, as was Van Gogh’s case. Besides, due to lack of clarity and usage of dull colors, Jiang’s art painting does not trigger emotional feelings as is the case with van Gogh art made of various bright colors that are eye attractive, “the painter is required to exercise not only art in giving form to his matter, but judgment in appraising it, and he must choose a subject that will naturally admit every ornament and perfection. Those who choose offensive subjects take refuge in them because of the weakness of their talents”. However, both the artist seems to have been inspired by literary references.

Consequently, “café Terrace at Night” by Van Gogh can be classified as Landscape. For instance, they share certain similarities with “Chinatown,” an artwork created by Frank Wong. Whereas Wong’s arts were meant to evoke a scene of daily life instead of a given historical event, Café Terrace at Night by Van Gogh is historical. Although Frank Wong didn’t consider the environment an essential part of his works, “Chinatown” powerfully conveys a sense of place, hence Landscape. Café Terrace at Night also displayed a lot of sense onto the environment. For example, Van Gogh captured the sky, people walking along the street, and trees. Hence signifying the subject was the Landscape. Therefore, compared with Frank Wong’s Dining room, Vincent Von Gogh provides a different approach to what makes up “everyday living” for some people. Whereas Frank Wong wants the people to enjoy the nostalgia and comfort he feels whenever “Chinatown” comes to his mind, Vincent Von Gogh offers a case where the viewers develop emotions while looking at Café Terrace at Night.

However, light is one element of art; both Frank Wong and Vincent Von Gogh brought into the creation of these artworks. For example, in the dining room, three miniature lamps emit light, while at the Café, a big Lantern lamp emits yellow light. The use of light here is one of the tools that make this art visually powerful. One of the ways “Carrie Mae Weems” makes a photograph more visually powerful is her knowledge and use of light value. The variation of light and dark in the artwork. Vincent Van Gogh also maximizes the application of light in his work of art. He applies a diverse array of light from darkness, to yellow, to bright orange. Vincent Van Gogh put a lantern lamp in the midst, whereas those that are further away from the lamp appear darker and keep the viewers’ attention where they are supposed to be. The same modality is used by “Carrie Mae Weems” by placing the most extreme light values at the center.

Also, van Gogh used a distinctive painting technique called Impasto, which applies thick paint on surfaces. He might be the first person to use such a technique in history. While on the other hand, “Vermeer” always used a given painting technique that enabled him to mix the edges of forms leading to the illusion of softer conditions. This technique is known as Wet-on-wet, where an oil painter puts a layer of paint on top of the color, which is still wet, thus enabling the layers to combine.

Subsequently, Café Terrace at Night, currently housed in a museum, is probably used for tourist attractions and public viewing to tell history. Any Patron did not commission this work, contrary to the “Italian artist Michelangelo” that had patrons who used art to experience devotion. Still, this artist likely pushed them to experience intellectual insight, as well. Patrons: the clients, customers, or buyers of works of art, acquire art for a wide range of reasons, but in the sixteenth century in Europe, when Catholicism was prominent both politically and socially, many of the patrons of Patinirand Michelangelo were interested in using art to pray “https://youtu.be/BUO7GGoH5hc”. In addition to prayer, Michelangelo stimulated his patrons to think about religious ideas. Vincent Van Gogh must have had the motive of depicting Jesus’ last supper with the twelve disciples. Through proper analysis of this art, in the center is a waiter, symbolic of who serves. Most of the dinners are pushed along the far end of the table, and three wine carafes are visible in the foreground, adding counterbalance to the dinner in the background.

Meanwhile, a figure of Christ is typically at the center, and twelve people around the table, one of whom is Judas. Besides, the presence of bread and wine signified the gospel moment. This view is also illustrated and supported by “The Archers,” where Reynolds represents two friends: Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney, as hunters within the Landscape. To out the view, just like Vincent Von Gogh, he also relies on a strong sense of background and foreground.

In conclusion, this art by Vincent Von Gogh signifies several cultural and societal make-up of the people of Arles in southern France. The art portrays the Arlesians as friendly people. For example, even though it was already late, people were still grouped in the café, probably sharing and making stories. This depicts a strong sense of socialization amongst the people of this community. Another aspect of the Arlesians people characterized by Café Terrace at Night is love for partying. The presence of wines in the foreground indicates a partying mood. Furthermore, most of the parties are usually organized in the evening upon completing the daily duties, as was Café Terrace’s case at Night.