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Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’: Analysis

Introduction, formal analysis, contextualization.

One of the most prominent paintings of Vincent van Gogh – The Starry Night – is currently exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The piece of art was created in 1889 and is still one of the most glorious paintings of van Gogh. The Starry Night expresses the unique style of the most celebrated Dutch artist. The picture, which is a figment of the artist’s imagination, was painted in Saint-Remy, France. This paper will present a formal analysis, contextualization of the artwork, and opinion of the author on the unique features and the meaning of the painting.

One might say that the colors of the painting make The Starry Night stand out. The stars seem genuinely bottomless, the Crescent moon gives the impression of the sun, cypresses are more like flames, and spiral curls pull the viewer into the abyss. The vigor of the artwork is focused on the uniform and continuous motion of the sky. The illusion of flickering elements is created by a mix of white and yellow colors that contrast each other on the canvas. One might say that the painting can draw the attention of any viewer.

Looking at the picture, the viewer sees a night landscape. A significant part of the canvas is occupied by the sky, the stars, and the moon, which are depicted mainly on the right side. To the right in the foreground, trees are located, and to the left, below is a town or village hidden in the trees. In the background, there are dark hills on the horizon line. Heavy thick strokes create the rich texture of the painting. The value of the art lies in a specific oily technique of strokes that van Gogh used. One can state that the picture belongs to the genre of landscape.

The composition of The Starry Night is balanced with diagonal lines – on the right side, there are trees at the bottom, and on the left side, there is a bright yellow moon at the top. The sky prevails over the earth; this proportion shows that the upper part prevails over the lower. All shapes and elements are expressed by color and rounded strokes. However, in the lower part of the painting, where there are the town, trees, and hills, the distinction among them is used by separate linear dark forms.

Deep space is created in the painting due to the color scheme, the composition of the movement and strokes. The depiction of color was of paramount importance to van Gogh. Once, he wrote that he was “very sensitive to color and its particular language, its effects of complementarity, contrasts, harmony” (van Gogh). The volume of objects is hidden by broad strokes; and individual contour strokes only outline the size of the objects.

All parts of The Starry Night are subject to a single idea and do not have autonomy. This unity is expressed in the composition and dynamics, because some objects (houses, trees) are visible, and many of them overlap each other (trees, field houses). The scale of the objects is also changed (the stars and the moon are hypertrophied). A distinctive feature of the painting is the dynamism, which conveys the emotional experiences of the artist. The Starry Night draws a viewer into the mystery of the sky and the night.

Vincent van Gogh painted the picture at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole lunatic asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in 1889. The Starry Night was drawn based on “van Gogh’s direct observations as well as his imagination, memories, and emotions” (Stanska). Van Gogh painted the artwork during a period of his remission. It was a time when he asked asylum keepers to move back to his studio in Arles. But residents of the city signed a petition demanding to expel the artist from the city. Despite the intense desire, Van Gogh had never returned to Arles.

The creation of the picture, according to researchers, was influenced by the legend of Joseph from the Old Testament (Schapiro, p. 100). The historian Meyer Schapiro claimed that The Starry Night might be a “visionary [painting] inspired by a religious mood” (p. 100). The spiritual narrative of the eleven stars might be found in The Starry Night . Two vortices occupy the center of the painting: one is large, the other is small. Vortices are depicted as a direct conflict of unequal competitors, senior and junior. Behind this duel, it is possible to see friendly, but competitive relations with Paul Gauguin, or with van Gogh’s brother, Theo, with whom van Gogh had a close relationship. The picture has everything except the sun, but a viewer does not know, who was van Gogh’s sun: brother, father, or another person. It might be suggested that van Gogh, who was heavily dependent on his younger brother, wanted him to be subordinated.

One might state that the cypress, whose flames are directed upwards, is an unconscious symbol of what van Gogh would like to aspire to. He wanted to feel a connection with space, with the abyss that feeds his creativity, but, at the same time, not to lose touch with the earth. In reality, van Gogh had no such roots, because he lost them during his life.

The Starry Night seems to be painted by a child, not a famous artist, because of its extraterrestrial nature, depicting a spaceship or a rocket in the sky. These colorful and extraordinary features make this painting exceptional and perfect. One might wonder, what are the special features depicted in this picture that force millions of viewers search for a solution? Perhaps, a single answer to this question will not be found. Nevertheless, The Starry Night might not leave indifferent any person who has seen its reproduction at least once.

Schapiro, Meyer. Vincent van Gogh. Harry N. Abrams, 1950.

Stanska, Zuzanna. “ Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night (Painting Of The Week) .” DailyArt Magazine , 2016.

Van Gogh, Vincent. Letter to Willemien van Gogh . 1890.

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“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh Essay

1. introduction.

Vincent van Gogh was an intriguing man who painted in the late 19th century. He was famous for his creation of emotion as well as his vivid color. "Starry Night" is one of the single most popular Van Gogh paintings. He completed the painting in 1889 while he was staying at an asylum in Saint-Remy. As a prolific creator, Vincent produced a large number of sketches and paintings that frequently expressed his tumultuous state of mind. This painting, which is quite accessible to the public, has been very popular and is the subject of poetry, fiction, and music, provoking strong feelings of sadness, loneliness, and nostalgia. Madness sadly was possibly the single biggest contributing factor as he was having post-impressionist depression. His admittance into the asylum came about after a particularly severe episode in which he cut off his ear. This deeply troubled time in his life was a product of the return of his mental instability and the severing of his friendship with Paul Gauguin. According to an entry from The Hospital at Saint-Rémy, the morning after the famous mental breakdown, he awoke and attempted to hang himself, but failed and ended up weeping the whole night through.

1.1 Background of Vincent Van Gogh

In the city of Netherlands, Holland, on March 30, 1853, a child was born to a Protestant minister and his wife. They named him Vincent Willem Van Gogh. When he was just an eleven-year-old child, his family faced very tough financial times. This required young Vincent, in his early teens, to get part-time work since the age of 11. He worked in several different fields like sales of art and books, teaching, and occasionally he preached. He did a number of different types of jobs, but it was very difficult for him to find a career that would match his expectations from himself. He then landed a job as a clerk at Dordrecht, the subsidiary of an international firm of art dealers. He was quite successful in this field and after gaining much experience, he was transferred to another subsidiary in London. In 1873, he was transferred to the group's newest office in Paris. He did not like his job as a company man and soon after decided to embark on his "real" career, that of an artist. This decision was promptly supported by his younger brother Theo. Unfortunately, he found "educating" himself in art to be far more difficult than he had anticipated. He resorted to the standard exercise of the art student, that of drawing the figure, by attending classes at the local academy. His attraction to both the peasants and rural landscapes around the city compelled him to leave Paris in 1875 to work as a missionary in the coal mining district of Belgium. He pursued his religious conviction until 1876, at which time he was forced to leave the school to return to London in order to become a book salesman. He was a failure in this field, and as a result of it, he returned to England to become a full-time preacher. He continued to draw in the meager time left over from his preaching. An exposure to the English illustrated weekly once again brought about a fascination with the style of the contemporary artists. This caused him to once again attempt to become a painter. He fell deeply in love with his landlady's daughter, and when she did not return his affection, he suffered a breakdown which led to him being dismissed by the girl's father. This led to an even greater inner torment. He undertook to console others and for this reason initially wished to become a minister of the Gospel. An intense drawing of the types of people with whom he came into contact, the peasants and workers, was the first evidence of the artist he would later become. At the suggestion of his younger brother Theo, Vincent began to study art in 1880. This was the beginning of a career that would eventually make a dramatic place in the history of western art. After 10 years of intensive self-study and the last one year of Impressionistic experimentation, Vincent felt that he was ready for the final phase which he felt he had little preparation but without which he could not truly be called an artist, the painting. This all culminated in the works that he achieved in Paris while working on the Post-Impressionistic style with the use of raw color and emotional expression. One of the most notable of these was "The Potato Eaters". In October of 1885, Vincent moved to Antwerp believing that he would find the realization of his artistic hopes in the streets and cafes filled with the rich colors of beloved Impressionism. After absorbing certain elements of Impressionism, including its use of light, Vincent felt that the true lightweight that was symbolized by the use of brush in the style of Pointillism could best be captured in the works of the great masters, i.e. Hals, Rembrandt, and the rest of the Dutch painters. He dearly loved the new inspiration of color and light, and as a result, he felt that he alone in his time in Holland could best plumb the poetic meaning of these paintings. He left Paris in 1886 and moved to Arles where his dream of an artists' community was halfway realized and his hopes of recovery were shattered by the eventual deepening of his mental illness.

1.2 Importance of "Starry Night" in Van Gogh's career

"Starry Night" was painted in 1889, a year before Van Gogh's death. Despite the picture's initial failure to catch public attention, it is now one of the most recognizable and reproduced pieces of art in the 20th century. It is safe to say that this painting is the most popular of Van Gogh's works. This is demonstrated by the fact that this piece of art has been replicated in a variety of ways, such as printed on coffee mugs, key chains, posters, album covers, etc. In 1987 "Starry Night" was adopted as the title for Don McLean's classic song and for the quite successful IMAX movie on the life of Van Gogh. This picture was painted during Van Gogh's stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It was his view from the asylum window that inspired this picturesque scene of light from the town below mixing with that of a star-filled sky. When painting "Starry Night," Van Gogh's aim was not to depict a realistic image of the night, rather to represent the fantasy in which the night was to him. Van Gogh's means of showing his "fantasy," however, was to use an extreme, exaggerated depiction of the night and to even mix this with a feeling of doom. This is shown by the swirly sky, painted by Van Gogh in a turbulent motion suggestive of his inner torment described by the usage of varying paintbrush strokes. The cypress tree is a depiction of death and is vastly contrasted by the bright nature of the rest of the picture. This is possibly a symbol of Van Gogh's isolation and the fact that he saw beauty in such misery. This picture served its purpose for Vincent as a means of providing lunacy, a disturbing emotional influence, and a mood of gloom all shown by the mix of celestial variety which is a heavenly expression of inner moods. This mixture produced an impression of a somewhat storm of nature. The painting is a reflection of his other works, where the opposition of steadfastness and movement was concerned with bestowing life upon the lifeless, striking emotion, and providing a means of deliverance. This runs parallel to the existence of Vincent's inner maze, as he once alluded to a longing for serenity in the whirlpool of his troubled states. The portrayal of his other works was, however, barely matched by "Starry Night" in its crystallization of inner torment through its rendering of outer turbulence. It's a painting of a man getting deep within himself.

2. Analysis of "Starry Night"

The Starry Night is a painting done by the Dutch post-impressionist Vincent van Gogh. It was painted in June 1889. It is oil on canvas. This painting is a landscape and was painted while he was in Saint Remy asylum. This painting did not become famous until years after his death, however, today it is a very well-known painting. During this time, even though van Gogh was a patient at the asylum, he was allowed to make paintings in a separate room and with the permission of hospital staff. This opportunity really gave van Gogh the chance to do what he loved: paint. Description of the painting: This painting, to me, sends a very calm and peaceful vibe. It looks as though it was painted late at night or early in the hours of the morning. The dark blue sky is almost night-like, while the big bright moon is representing the early morning. It seems as if this could be a view out of van Gogh’s window at the asylum when he was painting. There is a peaceful village that lies against the dark hills in the background of the painting. There aren’t any people or movement being made in the village; it is very still. The village is dark but still very visible with the light from the sky. In the painting, there are some cypress trees that are to the left of the town. There are 11 cypress trees in the painting, and in some cultures, cypress trees are thought to symbolize death. This could most likely be tied in with the sickness and death of van Gogh. Even though some of the trees are dead or distorted, there is bright color outlining the trees, most likely trying to represent hope. The colors used in this painting are very vibrant, which is typical of most van Gogh paintings. The bright blues and yellows light up the painting. The colors in this painting almost make it look like it is glowing at night. The contrast from the sky and village to the swirling stars and moon is also very bold. Overall, this painting seems to show van Gogh’s appreciation for life, even though his life was full of misery and sickness. He did not allow these problems to reflect his art, thus giving him the ability to create a painting with so much peace and hope.

2.1 Description of the painting

The painting "Starry Night" by Van Gogh is one of the most well-known of its time and is a great example of how the combination of color, shadow, and line can create harmony. The painting is a virtual kaleidoscope of color, consisting of an imaginative landscape of a small town along a river, with hills and a large sky. The town is the first to attract the viewers' eye, its steeple pointing to the sky. The majority of the town is just a few brush strokes of paint, with the exception of the church. Above the church is a dark cypress that curves and twists its way to the top of the canvas, drawing the viewers' eye. The left side of the painting seems to be a town affected by a cyclone. The center of the sky is an even wilder vortex of spiraling lines that are also rich in color, including yellow and green. To the right is the final and most overwhelming part of the painting, the huge and ominous hills which in reality would be a safeguard from the setting sun.

2.2 Symbolism and meaning behind the artwork

The starry night was originally created by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889. It was created as a Cypresses tree painting to be given to Dr. Gachet at the Saint-Remy mental asylum. It is a scene that a person can take in quite optimistically and also pessimistically, as it says in our book. This is how the author Lawrence Hanson interprets it: under spacious evening skies, the doomed village lurks, the rolling hills dark and primitive, the cottages squat, and beneath the fantastic boughs of Cypresses all is distortion. A very strange and brilliant effort to express sadness and Chiaroscuro. This picture, to me, is a typical nighttime scene with the sky in a swirl while the village is a mere shadow in the background. This painting portrays a great message of sadness and mysteries in the world. The distorted nature of the moving sky is also an excellent depiction of how our world is not what it seems to be. It is believed that the Starry Night has a strong religious connotation. The cypress tree to the left of the painting is thought to be a symbol of death and eternity. This belief is supported by the fact that a year after he painted it, Vincent Van Gogh took his life. The church in the village is also painted with a yellow hue, which the author William Lore, Jr. said is said that the painter who lived in the scene of the painting held a service in the same painted church for his child who had died, but it is not true for Van Gogh did not paint the church to set the time of the village scene. The church is believed to be a central clog in the picture and a symbol of hope with the large steeple pointing towards the sky. The church, to Van Gogh, was always a symbol of the redemptive power of Christ.

2.3 Technique and style used by Van Gogh

Van Gogh's technique and style has always been a focus of interest. It is a well-known fact that he is an innovative and distinctive painter. His employment of bold colors, broad and rapid brushstrokes, in addition to his unconventional views of nature and his use of impasto create a highly expressive and original body of work. The application of his personal style in that painting conveys a message both emotional and psychological. At the Hill, let's observe his brushwork, the sky and the stars. Maybe the most impressionistic part of the painting, are there rows of clouds or the movement of the clouds with the wind. Then there is the lack of an actual village, there's no church, no homes. He's drawn upon memory and imagination. The overhanging threatening treetop encloses the village. This painting illustrates an emotional state, the evocation of repression and mystery. Starry Night was completed near the mental asylum of Saint-Remy, where Van Gogh was a patient. Just as at the time, his demons were never far off.

3. Influence and Legacy of "Starry Night"

Throughout the years, Starry Night by Van Gogh has been regarded as one of history's greatest masterpieces. This can be seen through its various uses and appearances in over 35 countries. It has been frequented in many major cities in North America like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and in countries like Japan and Australia. Even movies haven't been able to resist this famous painting. Starry Night has appeared many times in various movies from "You've Got Mail" to "The Usual Suspects" to "The Gods Must be Crazy," and of course has been parodied many times in various cartoons, comics, video games, and Sesame Street. Vincent Van Gogh is considered one of the world's greatest painters, but he sold only one painting in his lifetime. And now the paintings can be seen in various places all over the world and have been the target of a few major thefts.

3.1 Impact on the art world and subsequent artists

Starry Night has been the subject of a range of different interpretations over the years. Some view it as a man riddled with mental illness. Others see it as a lucid representation of the cosmos as they see it today. The term "starry night" has been used to describe a bright, clear night, but this is not what Van Gogh has depicted. The painting is actually a view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, the Moon having just appeared from behind a fast-moving cloud and shown its light on a cypress tree which was in the process of being battered by strong Mistral winds. There is also a village shown in the distance, but Van Gogh omitted the outlining of the church steeple which was situated in the village, and of which he had also painted a study, in his effort to express the state of the solid edifice being consumed by the forces of wind and light. At the time when Van Gogh had asked Paul Gauguin to accompany him to live in the "Yellow House," he had been living in an area of greater poverty the years previous to his stay in an asylum at Montmartre and had a spiritual connection to the peasants and their hardships. Many of these inferior peasants who were considered a lower class in rural Provençal areas were depicted well in "moonlight" scenes of the past. Van Gogh went on to request that Gauguin add in the memory of the hard lives of peasants at a later point. This part of the painting is much harder to discern today, due to the impact of excessive light exposure over the years. The use of cypress, which was also a well-known symbol of mourning, is thought to represent Van Gogh's sorrow and add a deeper meaning to the painting. This is all an effort by Van Gogh to express his feelings of depression and is also seen as a sort of symbolism of life and death, with its nurturing branches and tall, unsteady trunks. Given his emotional state on that night, it would seem that this painting was an effort to console himself, with its calm and ethereal theme.

3.2 Cultural significance and recognition

The nighttime scene communicates tranquility. The sky is illuminated with the stars shining in the deep blue night. It's a very peaceful and mysterious painting. The use of the color blue gives a sensation of nighttime. The moon in the sky is yellow, adding a feeling of warmth into the painting and also gives an illuminating effect around the stars. The cypress tree to the left is associated with death in the culture of the time. It is a traditional symbol of the graveyard, and as Van Gogh is known to have suffered from many physical and mental ailments, it is possible the cypresses in the painting are an allusion to his own state longing for release from his problems. Traditionally, the spire of the cypress is a phallic symbol and the tree itself is a mother figure. These interpretations are supported by an author without any actual documentation of Van Gogh's state of mind when he made the painting, allowing for a very wide range of interpretations of the painting. Starry Night is one of the most well-known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought-after prints. From celebrity speculation, ranging from Don McLean's song "Starry, Starry Night" to a dark character in the Smurfs, the painting is in many aspects has lodged itself in the mental landscape of society. Because of this, there have been many incorrect and correct interpretations of the painting. Ranging from it being an observation of astronomy to Van Gogh's view of his own fate, the painting has been widely analyzed. Although it has been said that with modern night pollution the stars in the painting are not accurate for the time the painting was created, it can be said the modern-day viewer takes from the painting the emotion and the overall meaning, more than the accuracy of the sky.

3.3 Preservation and exhibition of the painting

Currently, "Starry Night" is displayed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting is seen as an icon in the eyes of the public, art enthusiasts, art historians, and to all that view the painting. It has even been voted as the best painting of the 20th century on several occasions. Its fame is widespread and it is almost universally agreed that this painting is Van Gogh's quintessential achievement in painting, unlike his works, which are maybe more innovative, calling for greater expressivity and emotions. This painting is sure to stand the test of time. In 1944, MOMA was given "Starry Night" by an anonymous donor. The painting was a thoughtful and apt choice for an art public still coming to grips with the recent U.S. entry into war. Americans were nervous, and the image of light and dark forces clashing was one that seemed to capture the zeitgeist of the American psyche. Discussing the many poetic analogies in his painting, Van Gogh wrote to his brother of "a great starlit vault of heaven...one can only call God." Americans saw the painting as a validation of their commitment to defeating darkness and creating a better world for future generations. Starry Night is a frequently licensed image. It has been used in posters, cards, dishes, umbrellas, and many one would almost consider to be "tacky" items. An internet search will yield results of original Van Gogh painting being compared side to side with manipulated likenesses! Digital technology provides many means of altering the original, e.g., into a pixelated image or sometimes into a more expressionist form - all of which serves to make the image more ethereal. A simple and original reproduction nearly serves this end meme, of bringing the image out into greater public consciousness.

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The Starry Night by Van Gogh Essay

Introduction, use of different colors in the starry night, representation of different colors in the painting, works cited.

The Starry Night is one of the ancient pieces of antique paintings and it has continued to draw a lot of interest in the museum galleries and art exhibitions the world over. One of the most interesting aspects in the painting is the use of colors to bring out the textural aspect in this painting.

One of the attributes that has made this painting very common is the fact that over time it has continuously been replicated by many artists and students over the course of time. There are certain very important features that make this painting to grow in popularity; perhaps the most important feature is the fact that there is a representation of the sky that is characterized by the stars that whose illumination causes a blaze that is further on enhanced by the crescent outline of the moon (Pioch, 1).

The exaggeration of these features perhaps makes the use of colors in this painting even more crucial; the fact that many people can easily identify with the scene that is represented in this painting is perhaps one of the reasons as to why it is regularly chosen by most of the student to show the effects of using different colors to represent different textures and emotions through a work of art.

Different colors represent different emotions and feelings in a work of art such as a painting; perhaps one of the most important facts in the use of color is the ability to actively involve the visual use of colors to ensure that a viewer is able to clearly visualize the painting and get a feeling of the true reflection of the scenery that is put forth in the painting.

The use of different colors in the painting can serve to bring different emotions to a viewer; originally, Van Gogh was able to make use of the color textures to show the peaceful essence of the hills and horizons (Pioch, 1).

The cool dark colors are able to revive memories of the early childhood years in addition to spurring on the imagination; a viewer is able to get an imagination of what exists in the skies and also creates a sense of distance.

It is also important to consider the fact in the original paintings the colors are used to bring out a sense of size in the painting, a change of the colors will bring an entirely different aspect with regard to size. Another important aspect use of color is the ability to bring out the aspect of isolation of certain structures in the painting; the dark colors used in this regard are able to bring out the massiveness of the structure in the painting. Finally the colors used in the structure enables the viewer to be able to make their own analysis of the background features in the painting including the bushes and the variety of objects in the painting (Pioch, 1).

It is important and crucial to note that the use of different colors in a painting bring out different effects and interpretation on the part of the viewer, in this case a change of the colors from those that were originally used by Van Gogh will ultimately create a different interpretation of the painting by the viewer.

This is because the texture will change and this will result in a different effect in terms of emotions; another important aspect is the representations of the reflections of the different colors in the skyline that will be definitely affected by the change of the colors.

In the modified paintings it is important to consider the motivation for the use of the paintings that were selected; one of the important aspects is that the different colors that have been chosen actually represent different feelings and emotions and also they do affect the overall texture which ultimately has an effect on the painting in terms of distance.

In the second painting a few aspects have been changed and these include the background colors which have changed form a light blue to a dark blue color, the structure in the foreground has also been modified and the dark color has been made more vivid; perhaps the most important aspect of the painting that has been affected by the change of the colors is the aspect of distance; in the original painting, the artist was able to clearly bring out the aspect of distance but as a result of the modifications in the second painting, the distance seems to have been significantly reduces as a result o the color choices.

In the third and fourth paintings there is a kind of complete overhaul of the colors resulting in a completely different interpretation of the painting; one of the important aspects of the Van Gogh Painting was the fact that the use of the white and yellow colors was able to create a spiral effect that brings out a textural effect to represent the skies.

In the third painting it is important to note that the change of the colors that are associated with fewer echoes creates an entirely different effect in the picture. In this painting the aspect of distance seems to have altogether disappeared and the as the colors used for both the background and the structure in the foreground are similar, therefore the use of color in this painting modifies the texture of the painting resulting in the disappearance of the aspect of distance that had been vividly represented in the original painting.

There is however some aspects that are still eminent in this painting as the colors used still create some kind of contrast in the picture despite the change of colors.

The aspect of illumination that had also been associated with the stars as shown clearly in the previous painting is also absent in this painting; the change of the colors in this aspect also creates a change in the interpretation of this new color scheme.

In the final painting, the use of the green color to engulf the whole painting creates a kind of silhouette that leads to a disappearance of the illumination as well as the distance that had been created in the painting.

The use of the bright colors in this aspect therefore leads to merging of the various objects in the painting and they all appear to be in the same place and context. This therefore creates a clear distinction between the use of the bright and the dark colors.

It is evident from the use of the different color themes in the painting that the use of different and contrasting colors results in different textures in a painting that ultimately creates different emotions in for the viewer of a painting.

However in the Starry night, the aspect that is changed in the painting is the effect of distance and distinction between the various features that are represented in the painting. The use of the different colors in the four paintings therefore creates different interpretations of the paintings as is clearly evident.

Pioch, Nicolas. Gogh, Vincent van: The Starry Night . Paris: Web Museum. 2002. Print.

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“Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night”, Essay Example

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The “Starry Night”, painted by Vincent Van Gogh is an oil painting on canvas measuring 73 x 92 that was created in June of 1889. Starry Night has come to be one of the most well-known paintings in modern day culture and one of the most replicated prints in art. Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime; however, he has come to be one of the most famous artists of all times. Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853 and traveled to Paris in 1886 where he began to paint in short brushstrokes like the impressionist during that time period. Van Gogh was troubled with some personal issues, possibly a brain disease or lead poisoning and ended up cutting a portion of his ear lobe off. (Van Gogh Gallery) He was admitted to Remy a psychiatric hospital, called Saint Remy. It was at Saint Remy where he created the famous masterpiece, “Starry Night”. (Life of Van Gogh) His troubled personal life explains why the picture was a nocturnal piece with an underlying drama to it. The elements in the painting of lines, lighting, space, color, principles of balance and focal point all illustrate the drama that the artist was undergoing during his creation of the “Starry Night”.

Van Gogh paints a night sky and swirls the clouds and lights the clouds to shine their own luminescence, as well as a shining bright crescent moon. The lines in the sky of the painting are interesting because it keeps the viewer’s focus moving across the painting. In addition, the lines curve and create an onward movement that attracts the viewer and keeps them involved with the painting. Furthermore, Van Gogh uses unique thick brush strokes that are very obvious to the viewer. It has been hypothesized that his harsh brush strokes are in relation to his mental status while he was painting; however, all of his paintings do show consistency with his unique brushstroke. The ironic thing about the hard brushstrokes and the meaning of the brushstrokes is that Vincent himself felt more at ease with that technique in painting. For instance, he wrote a letter to his brother, Theo, and stated, “I should not be surprised if you like the Starry Night and the Ploughed Fields, there is a greater quiet about them than in the other canvases” (Artble). Even though there were harsh brushstrokes and the painting was set at night, Van Gogh made portions of the painting bright and filed with starts. This brings us to the lighting in the painting.

Within the brushstrokes, as mentioned previously, there is light that guides the viewer through the dark night. This illustrates Van Gogh’s favor for nighttime. He makes the sky extremely powerful as it sits above a small town. He swirls the colors and lines that incorporates both the color and light that he uses throughout the painting. The sky is painted with white clouds and bright stars. The main lighting in the painting is the bright shining starts and the crescent moon. The shining stars illuminate the sky, as well as the large crescent moon. The heaviness of the brushstrokes and the rich colors give a sense of chaos. There are also lights shining brightly from the windows of the houses in the town below, but it looks more peaceful than the chaotic sky. It was been thought that this was Van Gogh’s way of making peace with his illness and finding his way to heaven. The light in the sky and houses therefore represent hope that even in a dark night, there is light. Basically, he was giving himself hope through the lighting exemplified in the painting, telling himself that no matter how dark a time is there is still hope. In addition, the letter written to his brother indicates that the lighting made him feel calm and relaxed. (Artble)

In addition to the brushstrokes and lighting, Van Gogh creates spacing in his painting that allows the viewer to move their eyes between the stars and the curves in the sky to create a dot-to dot effect (Artble). The spacing creates a fluid movement of brushstrokes resulting in a calm and beautiful piece. It was indicated during the Van Gogh’s time, the Impressionist painters were not focusing on this type of spacing in their art work, making Van Gogh’s work unique and extremely distinct for the 19 th century. (Artble)

Van Gogh’s chose the color yellow and blue as the dominant colors in the painting. He also used these colors in many other of his later pieces of art. As mentioned previously, it is said that he was suffering from some sort of brain illness or possibly lead poisoning and it is rationalized that is what influenced Van Gogh to use such different colors in his art work for that time period. He used the bright yellow paint along with white to create the spiral clouds in order to bring attention of the viewer to the sky portion of the painting. He also uses green and other colors in the town, such as orange and red to offset and make the yellow stand out more. Overall, the choice of the bright and rich colors of the night is what draws so much attention and captivates the viewers in this unique piece of art.

There are different forms that are used in the painting, including balance. The balance in the painting is shown through the movement of the brushstrokes that starts on the left end of the painting towards the center, where it becomes the main focus of the painting. The balance is also shown through the harmony that is created with the numerous stars that are in the sky and the houses that are represented below. In addition, balance is made through the position of the cypress trees and the crescent moon in the sky. The combination of the moon, houses, and rolling hills is what ultimately creates a sense of balance in the painting. (Scribd)

The focus of the painting is the lines. The lines in the painting are two different types, a long-term bend and a short-term bend that alternates giving the viewer an engaging feeling. Looking at the painting, the viewer can focus on the harsh brush strokes of the alternating lines and focus on the bright colors made of those lines. The main focus of the Starry Night also leads the viewer to think about how different Van Gogh’s technique was compared to other artists during the 19 th century. While looking at the Starry Night it is easy to look at all the focal points in the painting and realize that Van Gogh was an interesting individual and used his emotions and whatever he was going through at the time to paint his pictures, without following the rules of the time. While he was alive he only sold one painting and now many of his works of art are masterpieces. (Scribd)

There are different reasons why Van Gogh may have painted the Starry Night in the manner that he did. For one, since it was painted during his stay at Saint Remy, it is supposedly his version of his view from his room there. In regard to the form, objects, color, lighting and technique, it has been theorized that both his mental status and the socioeconomic status of the culture during that time period may have influenced the artwork. For instance, he was just hospitalized for cutting off his lobe and he uses harsh brushstrokes to represent the dark night. The cypress trees in the painting give a more gentle approach and may represent the townspeople who were farmers during that period, in which he may have thought of hard working individuals. On the left side of the Starry Night painting there is a large dark object that could represent negativity or rejection. Perhaps Van Gogh added that in the painting to describe his feelings of rejection from society and the lack of interest in his paintings at the time. (Scribd) Overall, the Starr Night is an amazing painting with great depth and unique technique. It is one of the paintings of over all time that majority of individuals, whether educated in art or not, recognize or have hanging in their home. The uniqueness of the color, lighting and brush strokes alone represent a unique masterpiece.

Works Cited

Arble. Starry Night Analysis. Web. 2012. Retrieved on April 1, 2012 from: http://www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh/paintings/starry_night/more_information/analysis

Life of Van Gough. Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. WOeb. 2011Retrieved April 1, 2012 from: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html.

Scribd. Web. Retrieved on April 1, 2012 form: http://www.scribd.com/doc/57425684/Vincent-Van-Gogh-The-Starry-Night

Van Gogh Gallery. Vincent van Gogh: Biography. Web. 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2012 from: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html.

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Starry Night Painting Anlysis

How it works

Vincent van Gogh was a post-impressionist artist. Van Gogh sought refuge from severe depression at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. In 1889, while looking out a window, he became inspired to paint Starry Night. He wrote this to his brother Theo, “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.” (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) van Gogh was not content to just paint an imitation of the world, he wanted to recreate the emotions experienced while viewing it.

(Lewis and Lewis 2014) van Gogh used his memory of that morning and the emotion it provoked combined with his imagination to form a masterpiece.

Starry night is a moderately sized oil on canvas painting depicting a brilliant star filled sky over a small village. In the foreground there is a large dark cypress tree that towers into the sky. The tranquil village is seen as if from a hilltop with dark blue mountains surrounding it. There is a church in the center of the village with a tall steeple. The composition is structured by van Gogh’s ordered placement of the cypress, steeple, and central nebulae. (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) He uses short, fast brush strokes and impasto to generate the swirling pattern of the sky producing a sense of movement. The night sky with the moon and the stars makes up three quarters of what is shown on the canvas. The dark browns and blues used for the mountains, village and sky produce a stark contrast with the bright yellows and greens that portray the moon and stars.

There are various interpretations of Starry Night. Some feel that this canvas depicts hope, and that maybe van Gogh had found victory over his deep depression. Van Gogh believed that death represented the vehicle that would transport him to the heavens (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) so maybe he meant for the sky to be seen as a passageway. He also knew that in death he would be at peace and further portrays this by employing bold colors in the painting. (Unknown, Starry Night Analysis n.d.) Starry Night stirs up conflicting emotions. The village seems to be at peace while the sky is alive with motion. It is as if the light of the moon and the stars is at war with the darkness of the night. They seem equally formidable and there is no apparent sense of which one will overpower the other. The sky seems more like a river through the heavens than just the backdrop for the stars.

Starry Night is considered one of the most complex and beautiful paintings of all time. Van Goghuses the elements to capture the viewer’s attention. In a room full of paintings, Starry Night will stand out. At the time of its creation, it was considered different from the other post-impressionist art. Van Gogh’s work was not genuinely appreciated until after his death.

Vincent van Gogh’s emotional distress can be seen and felt in his work. Starry Night is innately unbalanced, and very dynamic. Van Gough helped pave the way for modern expressionism. Viewers may debate the purpose and meaning of this piece however, it is well established that Starry Night is one of the greatest pieces of art ever created.  

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the starry night

Updated 13 January 2023

Subject Artists ,  United States

Downloads 35

Category Art ,  World

Topic New York City ,  Painting ,  Vincent Van Gogh

The Starry Night: An Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh's Masterpiece

The starry night is a well-known oil painting by Vincent Van Gogh that was completed in 1889 and is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This work of art not only portrays high quality work, but it also demonstrates the artist's mental turmoil. Van Gogh purposefully exaggerated the stylization inspired by thick brush strokes, and as a result, he freely expresses various emotions in this shot (Artble, 2017).

Focusing on the Starry Night Image

This essay focuses on the starry night image and identifies individual elements within the image. It also analyzes the effects of the extraction of meaningful elements in the image thus showing how imagery is used in media.

The Meaning of the Image as a Whole

The meaning of the whole image lies behind Van Gogh’s extended contemplation of the night sky. In one of the letters to his sisters, he stated that he had observed the sky before sunrise and saw a brightly shining morning star and the countryside through his window (Maurer, 1998). The impressionist artist depicts a night sky that is brimming with colors of the whirling clouds, eleven stars and the crescent moon. By the use of swirls and curves, the thick brush strokes bring out the view of a rare night (Maurer, 1998).

Identifying Several of the Individual Elements within the Image

The first thing anyone notices when studying the image is the overwhelming sky because it covers the whole background. The center of attention in the image is the spiral and wavy formation that creates a sense of the gentle motion of the night sky. The fiery moon and the stars are likened to fireballs, and their sharp, outstanding yellow color contrasts with the blue grey background (Artble, 2017). Tiny houses and a church are also visible, but they seem silent with the little light illuminating thus evidencing that all the light emanates from the night sky because everyone is probably asleep. In the foreground, the whole view of the village is partially obstructed by a cypress bush.

The Removal of One Element

In the essay, the first element I will remove from the image is the presence of the moon and stars in the sky. The removal of the constellation interferes with the whole setting of the image because the skyline holds the intensity of Gogh’s work (Maurer, 1998). The moon and stars are so overwhelmingly big to the extent that we feel as if the universe is about to collapse on the small village. Without the constellation, the image no longer seems to be bursting with life. The spiral nature of the stars depicts constant motion in the galaxies, and the removal of these would render the image motionless and empty (Artble, 2017). Failure to include the constellation in this image would simply take away the dynamism of the night sky that contrasts the silence of the whole image.

Removal of the Second Element

The second element I removed from the image is the cypress bush. Having been placed in the foreground, the cypress bush counters the dazzling effect of the bursting night sky. It's curvy nature is in rhythm with the swirling sky. The artist deliberately placed it on the left side of the canvas to disturb the equilibrium of the image. In such a prominent place, the cypress bush is uncharacteristic and out of line with the rest of the image thus brings out emotions of anguish and turmoil (Maurer, 1998). Removing this element from the image takes away the anguish, turmoil, sadness and mourning. It robs the artist a chance to show how his sadness was taking away his intensity for life. Without the cypress, the foreground of the image is no longer eye-catching and thus makes the whole image lose its ambiguity (Artble, 2017). Without the looming dark bush heavily dominating such a beautiful background, the image would simply tell a tale of life and happiness.

What Does This Exercise Show You Regarding How Imagery Can Be Used in Media?

Human beings are visual, and this is best described by the saying a picture is worth a thousand words. The exercise of removing certain elements from the image is proof that artists can give a story simply by adding various elements to their work. Through a simple piece, an artist can set the mood and determine the intensity of the emotions that viewers will feel upon viewing it (Maurer, 1998). An artist can choose which points in his life to make vivid and choose to over other elements a smaller meaning. Overall, imagery is the gift artists were given to enable them to express themselves in the world.

Artble. (2017, July 19). Starry Night Analysis. Retrieved August 16, 2017, from https://www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh/paintings/starry_night/more_information/analysis

Maurer, N. E., Gogh, V. ., & Gauguin, P. (1998). The pursuit of spiritual wisdom: The thought and art of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Madison, N.J: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.

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Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Art History — The Artistic Genius of Anne Sexton’s “Starry Night”

The Artistic Genius of Anne Sexton's "Starry Night"

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 777 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

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Anne sexton: a brief overview, exploring the themes of "starry night", the emotional impact of "starry night", the influence of visual art.

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Explicate the poem–`The Starry Night` essay

Anne Sexton’s poem “The Starry Night” is an ekphrasis. poem. An ekphrasis is a type of poem (or other art form) written about another art-form. In “The Starry Night,”Anne Sexton was inspired not only by Vincent Van Goght’s painting of the same title, but by a letter the artist wrote to his brother, which contained the epigraph for Sexton’s poem: “That does not keep me from having a terrible need/of— shall I say the word— religion. Then I go/out at night to paint the stars. ” By including the quotation form Van Goght above the body of her poem, Sexton actually gives the reader the poem’s theme.

This sly trick is compatible with Van Gogh’s technique in the painting “The Starry Night. ” In the painting we see a night sky crowded with swirling clouds, blazing starts with burning halos and a moon which reflects each of the lunar phases in one image. Van Goght’s sky is alive and engages the viewer. By repeating the adjective “starry,” Sexton gains the “crowded” feeling of Van Gogh’s canvas in her stanza. She grasps the “living sky” element in the following lines: “It moves. They are all alive. /Even the moon bulges in its orange irons.

” (Sexton) . The key to Sexton’s masterful ekphrasis seems to lie in her use of compressed diction: “The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars. ”This, like Van Gogh’s hurried, thick brush stroked invokes a sense of both urgency and passion. Sexton’s use of the refrain “This is how I want to die! ” (Sexton) encapsulates the theme of Van Gogh’s paining, that of religious ecstacy, by merging an erotic/death urge with surrealism: “sucked up by that great dragon, to split/from my life with no flag. ”(Sexton).

Sexton’s poem is a wonderful counterpoint to Van Gogh’s painting, a rich example of the artistic and expressive potential of transposing the themes textures and techniques from one art medium to another.

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Sexton, Anne. Selected Poems of Anne Sexton Houghton Mifflin,1988. 1 page 1 source MLA Explicate the language and the tone of the poem(`The Starry Night` by Anna Sexton). Indicate the universal and deeper meaning of that poem. (half page) And finally, analyze why that poem is excellent or successful in your opinion ( for example, does it move us or engage our sympathies; does it create an image to readers… ) (half page)

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Class of 2024 Senior Activities

Wednesday, May 1: High Meadows Adventure Park

Friday, may 3: senior sleep-in, saturday, may 4: senior breakfast, friday, may 10: prom—a starry night.