Vincent Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace At Night

When we look at “Cafe Terrace at Night,” considered as one of Van Gogh’s most valuable paintings, his mesmerizing brush movements, and choice of beautiful, vibrant colors are the first things that catches the eye.

The scene is fairly simple – it’s night, and a bunch of people are having a drink at the half-empty cafe. But it turns out that there is more to the painting than this pleasant street scene. Many art researchers believe that Van Gogh actually created his own portrayal of the Last Supper with this painting.

Those who support this theory explain that the possibility of this painting being a depiction of the Last Supper is strong. After all, Van Gogh was the son of a Protestant minister and was very religious himself. So where is the evidence for this theory? We all know that Jesus had his Last Supper together with his twelve disciples.

Exactly twelve people are sitting at the cafe in Van Gogh’s painting, all of them centered around a long-haired figure that is either their waiter or Jesus himself. To make the theory more believable, there are several hidden crosses scattered around the composition, one of which is above the Christ-like figure.
Van Gogh never spoke about this painting having any religious symbolism, although, in one letter to his brother Theo, he writes the following: “That doesn’t stop me having a terrible need for – dare I say the word – for religion. So I go outside at night to paint the stars, and I always dream a painting like that with a group of living figures of the pals.”