Summary

The author describes their immersive experience of replicating Vincent Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace At Night," which led to a deep emotional and imaginative connection with the artist and his work.

Abstract

In March 2020, the author, while attending a painting class, became captivated by Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace At Night." They embarked on a master study of the painting, deeply influenced by their fascination with Parisian cafes and Van Gogh's life and work. Through extensive research, including reading biographies, watching related movies, and listening to dedicated music, the author developed a profound empathy for Van Gogh's struggles and sorrows. Using oil pastels, the author spent 5 days and 15 hours recreating the painting, becoming so absorbed in the process that they felt transported into the scene. The experience culminated in a personal and artistic journey, with the author expressing gratitude for the connection they felt with Van Gogh through the act of replication.

Opinions

The author holds Vincent Van Gogh in high regard, considering him a delicate and precious artist despite his lack of commercial success during his lifetime.
They express a deep fascination with Parisian cafes, romanticizing the idea of solitude amidst the city's bustling nightlife.
The author empathizes with Van Gogh's personal struggles, including his financial hardships, lack of recognition, and desire for companionship.
They believe that engaging deeply with Van Gogh's life and art allowed them to form a unique bond with the artist, enhancing their own artistic experience.
The author values the emotional and imaginative aspects of art, emphasizing how the act of replication can lead to a profound connection with the original artist's vision and intent.

I Sat To Replicate A Van Gogh Painting, And Suddenly I Was In It, Too.

The beauty of replicating art

Source: Author’s Photo Gallery. The original painting titled, “Cafe Terrace At Night”.

It was sometime in March 2020 that this incident happened. It was 11 am and I was seated on my chair in the studio of my Teacher -a renowned painter, for my painting class, leafing through the large book on Vincent Van Gogh’s life and paintings, looking for inspiration.

That’s when my gaze fell on “Cafe Terrace At Night”. It was a setting of an outdoor cafe at nighttime in Paris, with the chairs and tables laid out onto the footpath, and a waitress serving tables. It was dotted with passerby's and loud white stars hanging in the dark blue sky above.

Something about it just had me in a trance. I’ve been to Paris, but I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting one of its quaint cafes that I’m sure smell like coffee and bread. It sounds unbelievable, right? Well, it’s true. And I’ve always been fascinated with the cafes in Paris. Something about it is so romantic, although I always see myself sitting there alone, reading a book, or just looking out at the setting.

Ok, ok, I'm digressing a little.

So I told my teacher I wanted to do a master study of this painting.

She told me it would be a little hard at first but then asked me to go ahead and start drawing on a brown paper.

I must admit, I was borderline obsessing over Vincent Van Gogh at this point. I had already read all there was to know about him from various books and biographies, and then I also watched the movie “Loving Vincent”, a beautifully put together movie, which was a tribute to him and his paintings. Hell, I even found an extremely moving song dedicated to him.

I was in a daze. I’d wake up and go to sleep with only one thought paralyzing me for days; how could a man live with so much sorrow and suffering?

I drew the basic outline and began to choose a medium to color it in. After a little thought, my teacher and I decided to go with Oil Pastels.

Naturally, it would take more time to finish this master study because I was using pastel. I hooked the drawing on an easel and brought it all the way down and sat on the floor, coloring for hours.

I kept thinking about Vincent, about what he saw in this setting that pushed him to paint it. I was so engrossed in the painting, that I fell down a rabbit hole of imagination. Was this woman in white really there? what was her life like? where was this black-suited man headed? Is this shop closing? What must the time have been? How is the waitress feeling, working so late into the night? What must have been behind that door? Who was living on the floor above this cafe? I was spinning out of control.

I spent so much time looking at it, observing, and drawing it that I became a part of it.

Slowly and then all at once, I was in there too. I’m sitting with Van Gogh, and I watch as he shuffles and fidgets in his seat uncomfortably, waiting for his order, and pulls out a notebook and starts drawing, looking up every few seconds to breathe in the view. I’m watching him as he looks around him and keeps sketching. I’m still there as I watch him pull out a paper and write a letter to his brother about how he likes painting night cafes.

Everything keeps coming alive in my head. All the bright yellow lights, the red dress, the huge Christmas tree and the shiny stars above. I close my eyes and the color rushes in the frame of my mind, no matter what I’m doing. What a beautiful man. How delicate and precious he was; even though he apparently only sold one painting his whole life, he never could quit painting.

I tried to feel his pain; A burden on his loved ones, wanting to raise a family but having no one to be with, making no income from his passion, and having hardly anything to make him happy, but my heart gets heavy so I start thinking of something else.

It’s just so unsettling even reading and learning about a life so sad that it makes me feel so sad. wow, 10 points for creativity.

I guess it’s just like my teacher said. You can only sympathize with the way his life turned out.

After 5 days and 15 hours, I completed the master study. When I showed the study to my teacher, she smiled and told me, “Van Gogh Would’ve loved this.”

I don’t know how much or how little he would think of it, but he took me on an adventure and for that, I will be forever grateful to him.

It’s not everyday that you find something that engulfs your whole being, even if just for a few minutes.

My Master Study. Yes, I liked it so much, I got it framed.