The yellow stands out against a grey sky as well as a starry one.
You might recognize this as Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night”, which was the first painting into which he incorporated a starry background. Van Gogh painted it in 1888 while standing, I imagine, where I stood to take the photo. The building is now painted bright yellow to recreate Van Gogh’s effect. I’m sure back then there was not a group of schoolchildren sprawled on the patio.
A photo of a print of the painting
Van Gogh loved Arles. He arrived in 1888 from Paris and was inspired enough to produce over 300 canvases and drawings here. He was taken by the unique light and bold colors of the flowers and buildings. After a year of his shenanigans and two hospital visits, the citizens of Arles stopped loving him back; they signed a petition insisting he be confined to a nearby asylum. Around town, he was known as the “fou roux”, or the redheaded madman.
In 1889, Van Gogh entered an asylum in St-Rémy de Provence. He shot himself near Paris the next year.
11 place du Forum
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