Café Terrace at Night
Painting on canvas • Vincent van Gogh
Style & Movement
Post-Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, executed with heavy impasto and dynamic directional brushstrokes
Creation Period
September 1888
Dimensions & Format
81 cm × 65 cm (32 in × 26 in), vertical portrait format
Subject Description
An exterior view of an illuminated café terrace in Arles, France, at night, featuring patrons seated at tables beneath a vibrant yellow awning, contrasting sharply with the deep blue starry night sky and dark buildings framing the cobblestone street.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent, well-preserved museum-grade condition with stable paint layers and vibrant color retention
Estimated Market Value
Inestimable due to museum ownership; estimated equivalent value exceeds $100,000,000 USD based on comparable masterworks
Auction Estimate
$80,000,000 - $120,000,000+ USD if it were ever to appear on the open market
Provenance History
Part of the Van Gogh estate, passing through various private collections and galleries in Europe before entering the permanent collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands
Art Historical Significance
A seminal work in Van Gogh's oeuvre, notable for being his first painting to feature a starry background, showcasing his mastery of complementary color contrast (yellow and blue) and setting the stage for subsequent nocturne paintings.
Notable Features
The distinctive luminous canopy rendered in intense cadmium yellow, the radical lack of black paint to depict the night sky relying entirely on Prussian blue, ultramarine, and green, and the glowing gas-lit atmosphere
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure typical of late 19th-century oil paintings on canvas, but entirely stable with no major structural losses or intrusive repainting
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strict climate control with stable relative humidity (45-50%) and temperature (68-72°F), low-lux LED lighting, and display in a secure, non-glare glazed frame