If you are interested in learning more about the Van Gogh Starry Night, then this article is for you! The painting depicts Van Gogh's view of Saint-Remy, Netherlands, and is often interpreted as a study of mortality. It is also the most famous painting by Van Gogh, but you may not be aware of all of its facts. Learn about the painting's creation and its significance.
It depicts Van Gogh’s view from an asylum
Although Van Gogh was confined to the mental institution, he continued to paint, primarily from his room window, the countryside around him, and even during his walks in the city. He wrote to his brother Theo about the country he had viewed before dawn and the large star that appeared as he looked out the window. Later, he reverted to painting the moon and the stars instead, and he painted his famous Starry Night.
During his time in the asylum, Van Gogh painted the same view from his window 21 times. These paintings show various seasons and times of day, and all have a long line of rolling hills in the distance. Interestingly, Van Gogh didn't paint the barricades on the window, a common characteristic of many of his paintings. This may explain why he regarded “Starry Night” as such a failure.
It is construed to be about mortality
One interpretation of this painting is that it's about mortality. A dark outlook on life and mortality is present in several short stories by Poe. One of them, “The Red Death,” depicts a man whose family and friends have been killed by a mysterious killer known as the Red Death. This ambiguous interpretation suggests that the death was not an accident but was the result of a loved one taking life for granted.
A similar interpretation is attributed to the presence of cypress trees in the foreground of The Starry Night. These cypress trees are associated with death, and their presence in the painting may suggest the subject is about death. Moreover, the background of The Starry Night is the Rhone River, which is another name for the painting. The Starry Night has a powerful meaning and is often interpreted to be about mortality.
There are two Van Gogh Starry Nights
Many people may be surprised to learn that there are two Van Gogh Starry Night paintings. Interestingly, the original Starry Night was never sold. The painting is now in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, where it was first shown in 1889. It was part of a group exhibition by the Societe des Artistes Indépendants, and was accompanied by Van Gogh's Irises. It is not certain which painting was the original, but Theo's suggestion may give us some insight.
The Starry Night by Van Gogh is Venus the planet
Some have argued that The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is a depiction of the planet Venus. However, art historian Albert Boime of UCLA disagrees. Boime compared the painting to a planetarium recreation of the night sky on June 1, 1889, and found striking similarities. The painting is currently held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The painting of The White House at Night by Vincent van Gogh has a bright star hovering above the house. Until recently, it was thought to be a heavenly body. However, astronomers have recently determined that the bright star in the sky is in fact Venus the planet. According to Olson of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, France, this star was once thought to be Jupiter.
The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is a brilliant example of color and emotion in a painting. The brilliant hues in this painting were made possible by new paint colors. The intensity of each color gives the painting its unique glow. In addition to this, the contrast between dashes of paint creates a phenomenon called luminance. When a color is seen as a luminous object, the brain part that perceives it focuses on light and motion instead of the colors themselves.
The Starry Night was promoted by Van Gogh’s sister
In the years following the release of The Starry Night, Jo van Gogh, the painter's sister, began promoting the artist's work. Jo, an avid letter-writer, compiled a tome of Van Gogh's letters to her brother, Theo. Jo wrote an introduction to the tome and translated two-thirds of the text into English. The book was first published in German and Dutch in 1914.
Several months before Vincent van Gogh began painting The Starry Night, he had the subject in mind. He began the painting in late June or early July of 1889, as a means to tackle the complicated technical challenges of contrasting colors. He would refer to the painting repeatedly in his letters. Upon completion, the painting has remained the most popular work of art in Van Gogh's oeuvre.
Although Van Gogh did not sign this painting, it has been widely promoted. A study of it by Jared Baxter at the 2013 European Conference on Arts & Humanities concluded that it is not black. The painting also features a star-filled night sky. The artist also mentioned that the sky at night was more vibrant than during the day. In fact, the sky is not black in Van Gogh's painting, which was completed on location. The cafe that inspired the painting was later renamed Café Van Gogh.
Van Gogh thought his Starry Night a failure!
While many consider “Starry Night” to be a masterpiece, Van Gogh himself considered the painting a failure. The painter believed it strayed too far from reality and too much into abstraction. This painting was rejected by the artist, who publicly admitted that he preferred style over substance. Sadly, the artist committed suicide the following year, and this masterpiece became his last. So, while some have hailed his painting as one of his greatest works, it is still worth considering.
