Vincent Van Gogh’s Brushwork and Cultural Significance in ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’

Shounak Bhattacharjee
4 min readOct 26, 2023

Vincent van Gogh, a luminary of post-impressionism and an early pioneer of modern art, lived a life imbued with the chiaroscuro of brilliance and despair. He painted his world with strokes of colour, often drenched in the sun-soaked hues of yellow, a hue he regarded as a vessel for peace and serenity. Despite the turbulent tempests within his own psyche, Van Gogh channelled his thoughts directly onto the canvas, yielding works that were hyper-realistic and surreal in their artistic manifestation.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) Caféterras bij nacht (place du Forum) — Kröller-Müller Museum Otterlo

Among his illustrious works, “Cafe Terrace at Night” stands as a nocturnal testament to his artistic evolution. Within this masterpiece, he ventured to experiment with his iconic starry sky for the very first time. A dance of contrasting colours and tones breathes life into this observer’s vista of a café terrace under the radiant cloak of a starry night. It’s a portrayal of an ordinary evening at a café, where patrons find repose on the terrace, while others meander along the cobblestone pavement. The tables, positioned haphazardly, and the unevenness of the cobblestones coalesce to craft an enchanting, natural ambience. The warm, inviting colour palette fused with the celestial firmament above and the relaxed demeanour of the individuals invoke a profound sense of tranquillity, enveloping both the painting and…

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Shounak Bhattacharjee

Psychology graduate, writer, academic, and avid traveler with a passion for exploring the human experience.