Terrace of a café at night Place du Forum by Vincent Van Gogh

About the Artwork
Terrace of a Café at Night (Place du Forum) (1888) is one of Van Gogh's most beloved nocturnal scenes, painted in Arles in September 1888. It depicts the gas-lit terrace of the Café de la Gare spilling out onto the cobblestoned Place du Forum, with a deep blue star-filled sky stretching above. Van Gogh was fascinated by the challenge of painting at night without using black — instead, he rendered the darkness through rich contrasts of deep blue, violet, and the warm golden glow of the café lights. In a letter to his sister Wil, he described it as "a night picture without any black". The painting is now held at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands, and remains one of the most recognisable images of 19th-century café culture.

About the Artist
Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose work, though largely unrecognised during his lifetime, went on to profoundly influence 20th-century art. Born in Zundert, Netherlands, he produced over 2,100 artworks in just a decade — including around 860 oil paintings — marked by bold colours, expressive brushwork, and an emotional honesty rarely seen before. Struggling with mental illness throughout his adult life, Van Gogh channelled his anguish and wonder into canvases that today rank among the most celebrated and valuable in the world.