The Night Café (Van Gogh copy)

Here is a copy of Van Gogh’s “The Night Café”. I have always liked this one even though its just set in a ramshackle French cafe. At 35 Van Gogh was starting to lose his mind. His nights were tormented by demons and, unable to sleep, he would visit the café as it stayed open all night. It was a place where prostitutes, dropouts and alcoholics ended up.

A lady called Marie Ginoux owned the café (she is supposed to be the lady in white karate style clothes stood by the pool table). Van Gogh owed her a modest sum for his eats and treats and gave her the painting to settle his bill. That was in 1888 and Van Gogh died soon after. The painting wound up in an art gallery in Moscow is 1930. At this time the Russian authorities sold it to an American man who donated it Yale University Connecticut, America. It has remained there since.

I’ve added a bit more colour on my painting. Despite everything being painted like a cartoon with black lines round the edges it wasn’t easy to paint and took about 5 hours.