The “Ugly” Van Gogh Painting

This piece is called The Night Café by Vincent van Gogh. Is it beautiful? I wouldn’t say so. Charming? probably not. Striking? I think you could say that. Nevertheless, it’s now considered one of Vincent van Gogh’s greatest masterpieces. Van Gogh on the other hand, hated this painting and called it “one of the ugliest pictures I have done”. But why would Van Gogh talk about his own painting in such a negative way?

It’s no secret that van Gogh lived a troubled life. He also hated the nightlife scene, which is one of the reasons he left Paris. Maybe in creating this painting, he was warning others just as much as he was reminding himself.

#vangogh #art #arthistory #classicart #fineart

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[Art_Deco]

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[Objective-Observer]

I can easily see why the artist hated this painting: it was his mirror, though he didn't realize it. That was a metaphorical depiction of his life, and his vices. Great contrast of such potential, yet not enough production. Having such hope, that evaproates with booze. In the day light, this could be a quaint little cafe, but after midnight, it's a place of despair.

[Meli_monster]

Yay finally van gogh! I know it's so cliché to say and common. But van gogh really is my favorite artist. His paints and artwork are just so beautiful to me.

[thefirm]

He was incredibly lucky that he had Theo in his life. Theo recognised and supported his brothers genius.

[harrietlyall]

Novelist Malcolm Bradbury, in his 1960s campus novel “Eating People Is Wrong”, wrote of Van Gogh that, so far from being insane, he was in fact “afflicted with sanity of the most painful kind”. Depressed, yes, a heavy drinker, yes, but always structured, articulate and insightful. The hallmarks of madness include chaotic thinking and the inability to engage with external reality, whereas Van Gogh, in painting after painting, turns chaos into order and pain into great art, which is why we love him so.

[realityjunky]

I find it VERY interesting to compare the night skies in these paintings, knowing that they were viewed without the light pollution we have today. Can we imagine what it must have been like to just step outside and see the constellations so easily?

[LostK]

Woah, Van Gogh really is someone who expressed himself with his works.
Although he was quite a peculiar individual, we can all agree that art in any form is always the chosen method of expressing oneself by people that don't know how to relate to others, and/or feel out of place in the mundane life of 'normal' people (◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。

[meganlumley]

As a child I could never understand how the same artist that created the luminous dark of Starry Starry Night or the brooding beauty of a vase of dying sunflowers could paint a piece as ugly and stark as this one and the Potato Eaters. It never occurred to me that anything other than beauty could be worthy subject matter. I wish that my younger self could have benefited from your commentary. Instead, my adult self is the one to learn from your insights. Just as good. Thank you 😊

[KitsuyuutsuR]

My favorite artist! 😊 When I was in high school, we had to do a painting in the style of an artist of our choosing. I stupidly chose Van Gogh because he’s my favorite. Let me tell you, the man was a crazy genius! I was having so much difficulty until my teacher pointed out that he rarely blended his colors. I ended up painting most of my painting with a palette knife, dipping it in several different colors and just slapping it on the canvas. It was quite the experience! That being said, you can see that in this painting as well. A lot of his colors aren’t mixed or are just haphazardly blorped onto the canvas. I’ve also noticed he had a habit of doing exactly what he did in this painting in a few others as well. His perspective is a bit skewed, as if he was drunk as a skunk when he painted them. This one in particular is the best example of that, I think. And I definitely agree that the colors make you feel unsettled. They’re too vibrant, too clashing, what they used to call nightmare colors. The people all look as if they’re in misery except for that creepy guy in white that’s staring at us. And those eyeball lamps… It gives one the feeling that you’re looking at purgatory’s waiting room… However, one thing I do love about his paintings that I incorporate in my own is that use of thick paint. It gives the painting depth, especially if you’re allowed to run your hand over it. So not only can you see the beautiful texture, you can feel it as well. He was way ahead of his time. And it’s usually the mentally ill ones who have the most genius. 😊

[jg]

Hearing you say Cafe Terrace at Night is one of the most beautiful paintings of all time fills me with glee! It's my favorite Van Gogh painting and my wallpaper ❤

[Z.O.]

I truly am obsessed with his "Starry Night" piece. I have it as a blanket, license plate, steering wheel, and a few clothing pieces.

[janeaparis]

I think the painting is very successful, as it portrays exactly what he wanted to portray. The misery of a seedy little bar with drunkards full of hopelessness and the glare of the bright lights on this garish fact. The conflicting colors make one's stomach turn. He did a good job, and that is why he did not like it. Because misery and garishness are what he painted, and to him that was ugly. It is good and ugly in my opinion, and that makes it interesting and successful as it portrays exactly what it is supposed to portray. The reality and garishness of life sometimes. The red edges on me a little, and the lights send me over the edge. I like the reality and stark and ugly contrasts of the painting.

[gatewoodanimations]

Have you ever seen Loving Vincent? A movie animated in oil paint in his art style. It’s a visual masterpiece

[Rjk]

Someone needs to write a book series, but each book is a character in a Van Gogh painting and their story, like how they ended up at that scene. Creating a character in each painting and setting the scene in that painting. E.g. this painting would be a book about a girl who lives in this city and works at the cafe everyday, then she meets Van Gogh who is painting this painting. Idk i think it would be cool 😅

[micheleparker]

I love these so much I can't get enough of them - DO MORE!!!🥰

[susanfarley]

When I saw his paintings in Amsterdam I was so amazed by how many colors were in each of his brush strokes. No matter how much they have been reproduced, when you see the real paintings they are so much more beautiful than the prints.

[ellenpayson]

There is a song by The Doors called “People Are Strange.” This heart-rending painting by Van Gogh has always come to mind when I hear that song. I felt that this genius of a creator, isolated and tormented by so many things both natural and self-inflicted (including his loneliness) in-dwelt this song in some way. The painting silently screeches the glaring absence of hope and love and relationship. No wonder he hated it. It was a too harsh mirror.
Beginning lyrics:
People are strange
When you're a stranger
Faces look ugly
When you're alone

[bjones]

I don't know when it happened but somewhere along the way I started actively checking for your uploads. I'm not an artsy person really. I really don't know anything about classical arts but these videos are so informative and straight forward I don't feel too out of my element watching them. Sometimes I'm even the Leonardo DiCaprio meme pointing at the screen when I recognize a painting, lol! So, thanks for these videos. They're really awesome, they make me feel smart and cultured, and I really look forward to them even if I'm probably not the target audience. :)

[brucejohnson]

Love your videos. I hadn't noticed the Cyclops eyes until you mentioned it, and once you have seen them you can't un-see them.

[f]

That makes sense I was going to say the art he hated looks like he was painting while drunk.