o View Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night on p. 61 and Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing No. 681 on p. 64 in Ch. 4 of A World of Art and describe both paintings in terms of their lines. What does each artist’s use of line communicate about the artist’s personality and view of the world?
Van Gogh evidently found nature to be as compelling and formidable as God himself. “The Starry Night” emphasizes this. According to Sayre, Van Gogh was mentally tormented and this is evident by the use of the artist’s technique in his painting. The lines are harsh and jagged. Those of the church spire, the trees in the forefront, and the eaves of the houses are strong and dark. The swirls in the night sky are as strong, possibly indicative of his views of God’s and nature’s power. Perhaps Van Gogh’s view of the world was simple: he knew that the world was greater than him and therefore uncontrollable. The lines in “The Starry Night” truly demonstrate his lack of control. Still, despite the heaviness of the lines and the swirls, there is a calming effect evident in the painting with Van Gogh’s inclusion of church and solitude and serenity of the small village.
In contrast, Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawing No. 681 demonstrates the work of an artist who seemingly found that the world was easily controlled. His lines are perfectly formed. The diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines perhaps indicate some disorder in the world, but disorder that can still be explained, if not contained.

o View Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez on p. 155 in Ch. 8 of A World of Art and describe the formal qualities of this work in terms of its organizing space. Do the formal qualities working together create a particular effect? If so, what is it and how is this accomplished? You might find it helpful to also watch the Closer Look discussion of this painting on the MyArtsLab website under Ch. 8.
Velazquez’s Las