The White House at Night

Vincent van Gogh

Oil on canvas

State Hermitage Museum

Painted on 16 June 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise, just northwest of Paris, 'The White House at Night' depicts a pale rendered house at dusk, with two women standing at its gate and a third passing along the street, while a bright celestial body — confirmed by researchers to be the planet Venus — glows in the evening sky. The composition is structured with characteristically bold, expressive brushwork and a vivid palette that reflects van Gogh's Post-Impressionist style, balancing the luminous white facade of the building against a deep, moody sky. Van Gogh moved to Auvers-sur-Oise in May 1890 following his stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, and produced a series of paintings of the town's houses during his final weeks. This canvas was completed just six weeks before his death, making it one of his last major works and a painting of particular poignancy within his oeuvre.