Terrible Passions of Humanity

Terrible Passions of Humanity

Vincent Van Gogh’s 1888 piece, The Night Café, is perhaps not as well-known and celebrated as his Café Terrace at Night, but proves a fascinating counterpoint. In it, the clock reads midnight and locals are drunk and collapsed on tables. The clashing colours and purposely distorted perspective work to nauseate the viewer and create in them the anxiety and unease of the patrons. The Night Café is full of psychological resonance and acknowledges those on the fringes of society—those not seen in Café Terrace, but instead present at the night café. Van Gogh explained:

“I have tried to express the terrible passions of humanity by means of red and green.”

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Image Credit
Feature: Vincent Van Gogh at Wikimedia

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