Café Terrace at Night
Left: Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night (on Place du Forum) Arles, 1888
Right: Same spot, ‘Le Café La Nuit’ on Place du Forum in daylight, Arles, 2016
The spot may be less picturesque on a bright spring morning in 2016, but it’s still vibrant enough to cast its light into the darker streets. Notice the yellow shirt on the passerby? In my mind, it’s really a plain white tee that takes the gold cast once he steps within the fabled space of the Café Terrace . After he strolls on past, it resumes its ho-hum identity as a plain white tee. (How could it possibly be otherwise?)
A little Van Gogh magic– it’s powerful stuff.
Travels and Tomes: One Expat's Amblings and Ramblings 
cool!
Everything Van Gogh is cool.
I wonder how many folks have been to that spot. I saw your opening shots and it was instant recognition. And I exited that trip with a greater appreciation for Van Gogh.
I love Van Gogh! The motion, the color, the mood–life!–he gets it right.
I’m with you on the tee shirt! Notice how the eye moves from the yellow building, to the yellow terrace awnings, to the yellow tee shirt. A smooth swath of butter yellow. Perfect! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure– thanks for tuning in!
3 bum swings! 3 more!
Wooftastic!
Nose nudges,
CEO Olivia
Ah van Gogh! His ability to see the light in ways most of us cannot is astounding. Do you think you will venture back to the cafe at night to bask in its glow?
We left Arles too early for that– on our way to a light show (Carrieres des Lumieres in Baux de Provence, which was brilliant and I’ll need to write a post about it some day). Still, it’s something to keep in mind for another trip in the years ahead!
It might not be as gorgeous by day as Van Gogh portrayed it by night, but the buildings still look pretty cool. And how neat to have seen it! I really love Van Gogh too…I even have a Van Gogh inspired tattoo!
Van Gogh is perfection! It was a cool area. Would have been nice to go back at night–as another reader suggested–and dine on the terrace. Maybe even try absinthe? I’ll save that for the next trip.
Ann, this comparison of famous paintings and the same location today is a fabulous idea. I can imagine a whole series using different artists and locations. Excellent idea…really. ~James
Thanks so much. No so much my idea, as a happy thing I stumbled upon while in Arles. Glad you enjoyed it. (Maybe I’ll have to save up some cash to travel my way around old artists’ haunts now and do a series!)
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