Thanks for the view of "night cafe", since my first look at Van Gogh paintings at Phila Museum in 70s, I have been a fan. Guess it is the colors and vivid reality. I saw the Barnes collection at Phila Museum of Art(later in life), and some of Van Gogh's last works...truly his style and madness was fully developed. On the NY Met site you can listen to Kevin Bacon reading his letters to Theo.
"In my picture of the 'Night Café' I have tried to express the idea that the café is a place where one can ruin oneself, go mad or commit a crime. So I have tried to express, as it were, the powers of darkness in a low public house, by soft Louis XV green and malachite, contrasting with yellow-green and harsh blue-greens, and all this in an atmosphere like a devil's furnace, of pale sulphur."
I have always had such affection for the Night Cafe. It is up there as one of my favorites of van Gogh. The strong colors, the pool table, the glow from the lights plus I just know they are drinking absinthe behind the curtains.
It's a beautiful work. The colours are so powerful and the turbulence of the atmosphere and Van Gogh's own inner turbulence comes through strongly. Below I'll include Van Gogh's own comments about the painting.
Many thanks - hope you have been back to Yale Art Gallery and across the street, the Yale Center for British Art. Much for the "hoi polloi" in both.
bethyobo 3 years ago
Thanks for the view of "night cafe", since my first look at Van Gogh paintings at Phila Museum in 70s, I have been a fan. Guess it is the colors and vivid reality. I saw the Barnes collection at Phila Museum of Art(later in life), and some of Van Gogh's last works...truly his style and madness was fully developed. On the NY Met site you can listen to Kevin Bacon reading his letters to Theo.
KentCTTV 4 years ago
"In my picture of the 'Night Café' I have tried to express the idea that the café is a place where one can ruin oneself, go mad or commit a crime. So I have tried to express, as it were, the powers of darkness in a low public house, by soft Louis XV green and malachite, contrasting with yellow-green and harsh blue-greens, and all this in an atmosphere like a devil's furnace, of pale sulphur."
RoulinBrooks 4 years ago
I have always had such affection for the Night Cafe. It is up there as one of my favorites of van Gogh. The strong colors, the pool table, the glow from the lights plus I just know they are drinking absinthe behind the curtains.
vangoer 4 years ago
It's a beautiful work. The colours are so powerful and the turbulence of the atmosphere and Van Gogh's own inner turbulence comes through strongly. Below I'll include Van Gogh's own comments about the painting.
RoulinBrooks 4 years ago