In a picture it is represented about stationthe cafe of the city of Arlja well familiar to the artist. Owners of cafe, Zhozef-Mishel and his wife Mari Zhino often posed for Van Gogh. So, madam Zhino is represented and in other picture of the artist - (the picture Name it is possible to translate, as "Arlezhanka", that is inhabitant Arlja).
Van Gogh well knew «a night life» and similar institutions. In the letter to brother Teo he wrote about idea of this picture:
In"Night cafe“ I have tried to represent a place where the person ruins itself, goes mad or becomes the criminal. I wished to express fatal passion, driving people, by means of red and green colour»