...Starry Night Analysis Date of Creation: 1889 Height (cm): 73.70 Length (cm): 92.10 Medium: Oil Support: Canvas Subject: Landscapes Characteristics: Post-impressionism Framed: Yes Art Movement: Post-Impressionism Created by: Vincent van Gogh Current Location: New York, New York Owner: Museum of Modern Art Starry Night Analysis Page's Content Composition Use of color Use of Light Mood, Tone and Emotion Brushstroke Starry Night Composition Top Starry Night Vincent van Gogh The night sky depicted by van Gogh in the Starry Night painting is brimming with whirling clouds, shining stars, and a bright crescent moon. The setting is one that viewers can relate to and van Gogh´s swirling sky directs the viewer´s eye around the painting, with spacing between the stars and the curving contours creating a dot-to-dot effect. These internal elements ensure fluidity and such contours were important for the artist even though they were becoming less significant for other Impressionists. Thus Starry Night´s composition was distinct from the Impressionist technique of the 19thcentury. The artist was aware that his Starry Night composition was somewhat surreal and stylized and in a letter to his brother he even referred to "exaggerations in terms of composition. " The vivid style chosen by van Gogh was unusual - he chose lines to portray this night scene when silhouettes would have been a more obvious choice. In Starry Night contoured forms are...
Words: 943 - Pages: 4
...insanity, instability, and his pure obsession with the art he created, but the first time I saw Starry Night, I was overcome with an immense feeling of calmness and serenity that completely took me by surprise. Van Gogh’s Starry Night was one of the many works painted during his time in the Saint-Remy Asylum in 1889 and is now one of the most recognizable and desirable works of art in the world. Starry Night now resides in The Museum of Modern Art it New York, New York where it is admired and appreciated by thousands of people daily. I honestly don’t know the true definition of my feelings towards the painting. I only know that it stands out to me more so than any of his other works. When I see Starry Night, I see the dark sky that Van Gogh saw; and not only the darkness, but the exact opposite as well. I see the extreme brightness and color that he emphasizes throughout the night sky. He portrays the colors of the night with such brilliance and I am irrevocably drawn to that. Van Gogh gives the wind, literal and unmistakable movement that is impossible to interpret in any other way. The stars are oversized and shine brighter than our current reality, but I would assume it was to emphasize their brightness, and it’s a possibility that Van Gogh had a much better view of the stars than we do now and lived without our mass amounts of modern light pollution. The color blue in Starry Night is what I, and what I would assume many other people would be initially drawn to. It is the dominant...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...I chose to write about Van Gogh’s Starry Night, because I think that this painting is one of the greater pioneer forms of abstract art. Van Gogh’s rendering of the world the way that he perceived it, blended with his own stigmatic emotion, is evidenced by his abstract depiction of this small village in the south of France in 1889; Starry Night is aesthetically, artistically, and technically unique. Starry night is a depiction of an actual village that Van Gogh visited during his lifetime. At the risk of merely defining the obvious, the fact that this is a depiction of an actual village evidences the portrayal of real, naturally occurring forms within his painting – forms that any person who has observed this painting, can attest are definitely a distorted rendition. The distortion of these forms is a demonstration of the type of art that would be later defined as abstract, a descriptive of art in which the forms of the visual world are purposefully simplified, fragmented, or otherwise distorted. Having said that, one of the first distinct feature representations of abstraction in this painting that I noticed was the peculiar way that Van Gogh painted the stars - Van Gogh’s stars are exaggerated to the point that their size is almost equitant to most conventional depictions of our sun; this is an obvious demonstration of his use of forms of the visual world which he purposefully distorted (perhaps to signify the residence of spirits on each star). The second, most striking...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...Explication of Sextons “The Starry Night”, a painting by Vincent van Gough. Sexton and Van Gough both seem to find deep meaning and respectability in the night sky. The Setting of is the night sky above a town with emphasis on the details of the moon, sky, stars and clouds. Below, the sleepy village rests lifeless in the dark of night and does not receive the same attention as the sky. Sexton uses three stanzas containing similes, repetition, metaphors and alliteration to express her views of the painting. The first line states, “The town does not exist”, Sexton uses this line to represent the darkness of the specific night portrayed by the painting. The darkness is not the only meaning I found in the first line, it also tells the reader where the poet’s attention will be focused, not with the town but with the sky. The combination of these two meanings set the mood for the entire poem. The only object other than the sky and its inhabitants is one lonely tree sticking up from the unseen hillside, casting a shadow upon the sky and blocking out the bright yellow, white and green glow projected by the stars and moon. The tree is described with the simile, “like an old women”, possibly because of its shape. The forth line says “The town is silent the night boils with eleven stars”, this line does not literally mean the eleven stars are boiling, but instead represents there vibrancy. The boiling of the stars could compare them to boiling water because of their...
Words: 613 - Pages: 3
...Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh The Starry Night painting that was made by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most well known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought after prints. This painting is related to Humanities because as we all know, the word “humanities” contains the word “human”. Thus, we could define humanities as the study of how humans have expressed themselves through the arts throughout history. Expressing oneself through the arts is one of the earliest and most basic human activities. It is one very important way that humans reveal their values, insights, and priorities. In addition, humanities encompass the stories, the ideas, and the words that help us make sense of our lives and our world. It introduced ideas that may have never crossed our minds. Just like this painting, there are actually several main aspects that will intrigue those who view this image, and each factor affects each individual differently. Although the features are exaggerated, this is a scene we can all relate to, and also one that most individuals feel comfortable and at ease with. This sky keeps the viewer's eyes moving about the painting, following the curves and creating a visual dot to dot with the stars. This movement keeps the onlooker involved in the painting while the other factors take hold. Moreover, below the rolling hills of the horizon lies a small town. There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors...
Words: 419 - Pages: 2
...Misty L. Uschan Professor Lilly Introduction to Humanities II 14EW2 30 November 2014 Starry Night and The Course of the Empire: Desolation Starry Night was created by Vincent Van Gogh during the Post Impressionism period. Starry Night was painted in oil on canvas in June 1889, and the dimensions are 29 x 36 ¼ inches. This painting is on display at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, New York. The Course of the Empire: Desolation was created by Thomas Cole during the Romanticism period. Desolation was painted in oil on canvas is 1836, and the dimensions are 62.99 x 39.37 inches. This painting is on display at The New York Historical Society in New York, New York. Fig. 1. Starry Night Fig. 2. The Course of the Empire: Desolation Starry Night is an embodiment of the Post Impressionism period. The rejection of the Impressionists concern with natural lighting and color in favor of an emphasis on abstract qualities or symbols is seen through this piece as Van Gogh uses impasto to create vibrant, glowing stars in the night sky. There is a dynamic energy to this piece seen through the exploding stars in contrast to the quiet, sleeping village. Starry Night was created while Van Gogh was in an Asylum at Saint-Remy, France and was recreated from memory. There is a mixture of imagination and reality throughout the piece. While the night sky is the rendition of a sky Van Gogh saw while living in the South of France, the church...
Words: 650 - Pages: 3
...The Starry Night is one of a famous painting that Van Gogh painted in 1889 in Saint-Remy, France. The size of this painting is 29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm), it kind of medium and it made of oil on canvas. This painting shows Van Gogh's current situation of his life. His tangled life and aspiration are reflected in The Starry Night. There are stars in the night, although the brightness of the stars are not high, but at least it still emits light, even if God can give Van Gogh only little guidance that is great for him. Because at that time, Van Gogh was sent to an asylum, his life and spirit are tangled. Although this painting presents a pleasant scene, but it hidden artist's cynical mood. In this painting, one after another stars is a vortex flow, they are sensitive and...
Words: 816 - Pages: 4
...For my final exam I am choosing to compare and contrast Vincent Van Gogh’s, “The Starry Night” from the post-impressionism era to Edvard Munch’s, “Starry Night” from the expressionism era. The reason both paintings caught my eye was because of the vibrant use of colors to represent nighttime. Usually when someone thinks of nighttime, they think gloominess and darkness but here you see the yellows and blues used to show how beautiful this time of day can be. As stated before both paintings represent how the artists’ view nighttime. Both artists use very bright colors to represent how they view the sky. Bright blues and yellow are used all throughout both paintings. Big bright stars and calm, quiet villages are seen in both paintings. Not...
Words: 359 - Pages: 2
...The Starry Night is a miraculous painting created by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889 and is arguably one of the greatest paintings of all time. In this painting Van Gogh depicts an image of an actual starry night over a small town in France named Saint-Rémy. Using oil on canvas, Van Gogh painted a combination of 11 swirly stars as well as a crescent moon. The most noticeable feature of Starry Night is a silhouette of a green cypress tree. Starry Night gave me a feeling of relaxation because on a clear night my number one thing to do is relax and to not be concerned with life’s problems. Starry Night is painted with heavy brushstrokes and has a very rich texture. Starry Night did not become such a well-known painting until Van Gogh’s death a year later in 1890. After his death, the original painting was sold between numerous people before the Museum of Modern Art acquired it and placed it in their museum in New...
Words: 574 - Pages: 3
...The artwork that I have chosen is titled, "The Starry Night, 1889" by Vincent Van Gogh. This painting is known for being one of Van Gogh's most famous artworks and this painting specifically depicts the window view from his asylum room at Saint-Remy-de-Provence. Van Gogh actually voluntarily checked himself into the Saint-Remy-de-Provence asylum due to the aftermath of him cutting off his left ear in Arles (1888) and confined himself to the institution. I personally think that Van Gogh's battle with his illness and past struggles clearly reflects the artwork's composition and conveys so many emotions and expressions. Above the dark-colored village, you can see a swirling sky filled with contoured clouds, stars, and the moon. The painting also...
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...Starry Night is a piece of artwork, which was produced in June 1889 by a famous French painter named Vincent van Gogh, while he was in his place of asylum. The oil painting, which is done on a canvas material is 73.7 cm tall and 92.1 cm in width (Thomson, 2008). It is majorly formed of landscapes, and it depicts full characteristics of post-impressionism art movement. Currently, this painting is owned by the Museum of Modern Art, which is based in New York. This piece of artwork belongs to the post-impressionist art movement, which was formed later after the impressionist period. The artists of that time regarded the features of impressionism rather backward and repetitive, and therefore, they started up a new art movement: the post-impressionism (Crispino, 2008). This particular movement introduced new styles of painting; for example, they began using a wide variety of vibrant colors in paintings. Post impressionism artists also used a combination of thick and thin quick strokes of lines in their paintings, to differentiate their products from those of the more traditional impressionism artists. To be more unique and recognized as an independent art movement, the artists of the post-impressionist movement began drifting away from the common styles used by impressionist artists; for example, they began moving away from the idea of depicting...
Words: 871 - Pages: 4
...contributed to the fundamental pieces of modern art. He committed suicide with a gun at the age of 37 after years of feeling that no one could understand him, in his quote, “One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.” Poverty was also a major factor that led to this final decision, when his income was hard to cover him to continue to work as an artist. He remained unknown for the time that he was alive and only gradually started to become famous around the 1900s. The three art work I personally thinks that will explain him the most, which is the ones I will be doing, are The Potato Eaters, Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, and The Starry night. Van Gogh’s art helped him to stay balance emotionally. In 1885, he began to work on his first masterpiece Potato Eaters. He used crude models to show the real side of the citizens. The point he wanted to prove is that they are living self-reliantly; eating only potatoes by the light of an oil lamp. Which also implies about himself on how he is making a living off his hard-work and talent paintings. They are both needed as the foundation in their profession but are often not recognized or appreciated by the public. Which does match Van Gogh’s style since it was before he went to France and did not yet learn better use of additive colors. Although there was not much element of color in this painting, he showed form and value really well...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...Vlada Alexeeva Artist Research Vincent Van Gogh Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30th of 1853 and died July 29, 1890. He was born in Groot Zundert, in the Netherlands. When Vincent was growing up, he was an introvert and did not like socializing. He was a unique and unusual man. He did not start painting until he was 27 years old. Vincent’s brother, Theo, helped him emotionally and financially as he started his new art career. Van Gogh wore tattered clothes and he had a habit of being moody and stubborn. He didn’t interact well with the others around him. Everyone always thought that he was different and unusual. The people in Arles actually signed a petition to have Vincent removed from town. He wasn’t accepted by the people around him. Vincent Van Gogh was a very talented artist with a lot of pieces. He made many great works of art to show the world. Even though some of his neighbors may have felt he was crazy, he was able to get inspiration from many different scenes and objects. Van Gogh was able to leave behind him, many different types of art and many different art works that can be enjoyed by everyone. Although Van Gogh was practically a self taught artist, he did very well with what he discovered for himself. He was able to believe in himself and grow to his own ability. Yes Van Gogh had financial help from his brother, but that just shows tat they had a loving relationship. It means that his brother supported his career decision. I believe that people will remember...
Words: 618 - Pages: 3
...The 10th-century copper sculpture illustrated in this chapter is the work of an artist performing the role of "giving tangible form to the unknown." The unknown, in this case, is the physical form of the deity Correct Answer: Correct Shiva. The famous Neolithic structure in England, made of megaliths that once formed several concentric circles, is called Correct Answer: Correct Stonehenge. Which are methods used by prehistoric painters? Correct Answer: Correct All of these: animal fats and pigments mixed together, the use of reed brushes, and powdered pigments blown through hollow reeds We owe our access to Vincent van Gogh's thoughts and feelings about many of his paintings to Correct Answer: Correct the many letters he wrote to friends and relatives. The function of artists to give tangible form to the unknown is evident in the 10th-century sculpture Shiva Nataraja through images that represent the following concepts EXCEPT: Correct Answer: Correct The sculpture reports a story about a Hindu dancer. Wheel of Fortune was created by Correct Answer: Correct Audrey Flack. Which is NOT a task for artists, according to the text? Correct Answer: Correct to help us see the world in the same way that we see it Theories regarding the purpose of Stonehenge include all listed EXCEPT: Correct Answer: Correct The megalith configuration represented an astrological calendar. No society that we know of has...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...AOS – Belonging Essay ‘St. Patricks College’, ‘Migrant Hostel’ and Starry Night – Vincent Van Gough Belonging is an abstract perception that evolves and changes depending on an individual’s context and situation. The tension between belonging to society and self is at the heart of the complexity of the concept. Peter Skrzynecki’s poems St. Patricks College and Migrant Hostel from the immigrant chronicles and Van Gogh’s Starry Night are different mediums that juxtapose the duality of belonging and portray the diverse links individuals have to universal perceptions of connection. Belonging is a complex and multifaceted concept. The need to connect with social frameworks as well as one’s own cultural identity is the reason for the tension and dichotomy of belonging. Migrant Host explores the tension and sense of alienation for both society and self that can result from the migrant experience. A lack of interaction between individuals and places limits an individual’s experience of belonging, this is explored through ‘comings and goings’ and ‘arrivals and departures’ reinforcing the idea of these momentary connections. Through the use of many poetic techniques, the concept of acceptance is shown; a simile “like a homing pigeon” is used to highlight the urgency and desire to gain a sense of connection with the current environment. The simile ‘like a homing pigeon/ circling to get its bearings’ reinforces the idea of a complex sense of separation in the hostel. The disconnection...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
