The artwork “At the Cafe” is a genre painting by Paul Gauguin, a master of Post-Impressionism, created in 1888. The artist employed oil on jute to craft this piece, which measures 73 by 92 cm. Currently, the artwork is housed at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. The painting encapsulates the vibrant atmosphere of a cafe, a common social setting of the period, and it was created in Arles-sur-tech, France.
The artwork presents a scene inside a cafe, a slice of social life characteristic of the era. A solitary figure dominates the foreground, leaning towards the viewer with an elbow on the table and a pensive expression. The central figure is framed by the presence of a seltzer bottle and a glass, evoking the practice of leisurely drink and conversation. The backdrop features a group of patrons engrossed in a game of billiards, the green of the table standing out amidst the warm tones that pervade the composition. In the background, additional figures participate in the cafe’s social milieu, contributing to the overall ambiance of communal engagement.
Gauguin’s distinctive style is evident in the bold use of color, the flattened perspective, and the simplified forms, which marked a departure from the realism dominant in the art of the previous era. The facial features of the individuals are rendered with minimal detail, directing attention towards their postural expressions and their social interactions within the space. The dynamic interplay of colors and forms captures the essence of Post-Impressionist philosophy, emphasizing the artist’s emotional response to the scene over a literal representation.