I chose Vincent Van Gogh's "The Night Café- for this assignment. This painting was done on an oil canvas in 1888. I found this image on page 196 in Color and Culture by John Gage (701.85).
This piece is that of a café, a long rectangular room with tables and chairs lining the two outside walls. There is a wine table on the far wall next to the door leading into the rear of the café, along with a pool table centered in the room. There is clock hung above the rear door along with four lights hanging from the ceiling. Three tables are being occupied with another three covered in glasses and bottles from previous customers. There is a waiter walking down the right side of the café.
This is an oil painting done on a canvas. I would say this piece is naturalistic. The image represents that of a café indeed, but yet there is still content to it. Van Gogh has put a lot of meaning and feeling into this by his use of colors.
The angle at which this piece is painted makes the viewer believe he is above looking down into the room. His slight diagonal touch of everything gives it a slightly chaotic feeling. His rough, harsh brushstrokes give the image a very rough and almost empty feeling. The way he painted the customers all bent over the tables states that this café is somewhere where someone can go and drown their sorrows away. His use of contrasting dark reds, yellows and greens gives the room a dark, dreary mood. The hanging lights give on a glow of yellow that greatly contrasts with the red walls. The fact that the ceiling is green combined with the glow of the lights and reflection of red walls puts a yellowish green tint or glow to things. The color scheme of this image greatly affects the feelings the viewer receives from it. Even with his choice of color scheme the painting comes together very well and almost puts the viewer right there in the café.
