"Cafe Terrace at Night"

Cafe Terrace at Night (1888)

Oil on Canvas

Katherine Thornton

Sheramy Bundrick incorporated Vincent Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night"into the love story between Rachel and Vincent. This painting was done in mid September of 1888 in Arles, France. The painting depicts the lively but peaceful scene of the cafe's night life. The bright yellow of the cafe and the strong blue of the sky compliment each other making for a beautiful painting. Van Gogh uses darker colors when painting the buildings in the background to create depth in the walkway. In creating the pathway, which appear to be cobblestones, Van Gogh used a large palette of colors. This gave the painting lot of dimension. The transition of colors in the cobblestones draws the viewer's eye to follow the cobblestones. Bundrick incorporated this painting into the love story to show Rachel's attention to detail when it comes to Vincent's paintings. When she sees this painting she is presented with a few other paintings as well. She compares the different methods Vincent used in the paintings. Sine her relationship with Vincent has blossomed, Rachel seems to pay attention to smaller details and as a result she has a deeper understanding of Vincent's art. Vincent seems quite pleased that Rachel is more invested in his art and understanding it. Vincent's creative side is a strong part of who who is and it is essential that Rachel connects with this part of him. This painting is woven into the story to show that the two characters are beginning to blend into each other's worlds. It's beautiful.


Extra Links
http://www.vggallery.com/painting/p_0467.htm
http://think.iafor.org/why-vincents-cafe-terrace-at-night-is-a-symbolist-last-supper/
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vincent-van-gogh-last-supper-cafe-terrace-at-night-275282