Original artwork description:

Van Gogh had intended to make a nocturnal painting for some time. And not one in the conventional manner, in shades of black and grey, but actually with an abundance of colours. Equally unconventional is that he paints this gas-lit terrace of a café in Arles in situ and in the dark, because colours have a different appearance during the day than by night.

Sharp contrast
The most eye-catching aspect is the sharp contrast between the warm yellow, green and orange colours under the marquise and the deep blue of the starry sky, which is reinforced by the dark blue of the houses in the background. Van Gogh was pleased with the effect: ‘I believe that an abundance of gaslight, which, after all, is yellow and orange, intensifies blue.’

Pigments used:
Schmincke Norma® Professional - Finest artists' oil colours, series 11
- titanium white
- lemon yellow
- poppy red
- cadmium red deep
- ultramarine blue deep
- cobalt blue hue
- prussian blue
- cerulean blue

Materials used:

oil paint

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