Le Café Van Gogh Cross Stitch Pattern

Description

Le Café Van Gogh cross stitch pattern is a replica of Van Gogh’s 1888 oil painting Café Terrace at Night on the Place du Forum. The original French coffeehouse is still open today and has been refurbished to replicate the scene in the painting.

The Project

Le Café Van Gogh cross stitch is a very large, full coverage cross stitch and requires 200 different DMC colours. It measures 63.5cm x 81.1cm when stitched on 14 count Aida cloth  and you’ll be completing 156,432 stitches. So yeah, it’s big.

This is one of the most challenging projects in my collection because I have replicated the cobblestones and textured brushstrokes in fine detail. That said, there are still large blocks of colour around the night sky and dark alleyway. If you are up for the challenge, I recommend using Pattern Keeper to manage your project, look for the extra PK chart in your download pack.

The Painting

Van Gogh’s stunning painting is currently held at the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands. Here is some more about the painting from the museum website:

“Van Gogh had intended to make a nocturnal painting for some time. And not one in the conventional manner, in shades of black and grey, but actually with an abundance of colours.

Equally unconventional is that he paints this gas-lit terrace of a café in Arles in situ and in the dark, because colours have a different appearance during the day than by night.”

Kröller-Müller Museum

The Artist

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the world’s most celebrated painters. His work is defined by bright colours and thick, expressive brush strokes. I’ve been having so much fun charting my favourite VG paintings into beautiful cross stitch patterns for the world to stitch. You’ll find more in the shop.