At La Rotonde

An oversized red-and-cream striped umbrella spans the upper half of the composition, sheltering a crowded outdoor café terrace at night. Groups of patrons sit around small round tables draped in white cloths, some in conversation, others with cups before them, while a waiter in dark vest and apron carries a laden tray past the tables on the right, and illuminated shopfronts and buildings glow in the background street.

Hot reds and oranges of the awning and lamplight play against cool blue-black shadows of the night street, applied in loose, broken strokes typical of impressionist technique. The flicker of warm and cool light across faces and tablecloths creates a lively, murmuring evening atmosphere.