This iconic post-impressionist artwork depicts an outdoor café scene set at night on a cobblestone street. The focal point is a brightly lit, yellow-canopied café terrace where patrons sit at small, round tables. A server stands among the tables, while other figures walk along the dark, shadowed street to the right. The composition is balanced by the sharp, architectural angle of the café building on the left and the receding path of the street leading into the distance.
The colour palette is a striking study in contrasts, dominated by intense, warm yellows and glowing golds emanating from the terrace lamps, set against a deep, vibrant indigo and violet night sky filled with starlit dots. The cobblestones of the street are rendered in a mosaic of earthy tones, blues, and purples, reflecting the ambient light of the café.
The style is characterized by short, expressive brushstrokes and a thick impasto application typical of Van Gogh's work. The scene captures a quiet, nocturnal atmosphere with an inviting yet melancholic mood. The light from the terrace spills out onto the ground, creating a warm, golden glow that cuts through the surrounding darkness of the French town square.