Color lithograph, heavy vellum paper 47 x 37 cm (composition), 70 x 50 cm (sheet), limited edition, numbered in pencil 145/250, signed under composition facsimile signature "Vincent van Gogh" p.d.; dry publisher'sstamp: S.P.A.D.E.M. PARIS l.d.; hologram "verification of authenticity" on back. Original certificate.
Little appreciated during his lifetime, van Goghgainedfame after his death.Today he is widelyregardedas one of thegreatest painters in history, anartistwhosework inspiresimitatorsaround the world, whichcontributedto the emergence of newartisticmovements, i.e. Expressionism.
His distinctive, dynamic brushstrokes, intense colors and emotional depiction of landscapes became recognizable features of Post-Impressionism. Many of his techniques, such asusing paint straight from the tube (impasto) and painting frommemory,were adapted bylaterartists. Heexperimented with applying color in dots and dashes, whichinfluencedthe development of his style.
Van Gogh beganpainting a few years beforeheturned30 , andcreated hismost famousworks inhislast two years. He is the author of more than 2,000works, including: 870paintings, 150 watercolors and more than 1,000drawingsand 133lettersketches.Today, his worksare among the most recognized and mostexpensiveworks of art. Notcommerciallysuccessful,hestruggled withseveredepression andpoverty, which eventuallyledto hissuicide at the age of 37
Vincent van Gogh's painting titled "Café Terrace at Night,"alsoknown as "The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum," is one of his most recognizableworks. Painted in 1888 in Arles, France, it depictsa scene of a cafe terraceilluminated by artificial lightat night.
Van Gogh used vivid colors and contrasts tocapture theatmosphere of the place. The painting is dominated by thewarm yellowof the lanternilluminatingthe terrace,facade and sidewalk, and evencasts light on the cobblestone streets,whichtakeona pinkish-purplehue.The sky isfull of stars and hasa deep blue color, which addsdepth andmysterytothework.
In his letters, the artist wrote that "the night is more vivid and colorfulthanthe day." Hestressedthat paintingdirectly on location at night allows him toavoid the conventional black sky with "poor, pale andwhitish light" and insteaduse rich yellowsandoranges.
The painting "Café Terrace at Night" is currently on display at the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands. It is a work that continues to inspire and fascinate viewers with its atmosphere anduse of color.
