The color famously associated with Van Gogh’s palette is yellow.
Yellow became especially prominent in Van Gogh’s work after he moved to Paris in 1886 and encountered brighter modern color theories, then intensified during his time in Arles. He used yellow to evoke sunlight, warmth, vitality, and emotional or spiritual meaning. His sunflower paintings, yellow house, wheat fields, and glowing interiors helped make the color central to his public image.
This does not mean Van Gogh used only yellow. His palette also relied heavily on complementary contrasts, including blue against orange-yellow and green against red. In The Night Café, for example, he used clashing reds and greens to suggest what he called the terrible passions of humanity. Still, yellow is the single color most strongly associated with his artistic identity, particularly through the Sunflowers series and the luminous landscapes of southern France.