Starry Night by Von Gough

The history of the picture

Notwithstanding the detail that Van Gogh scarcely considered of his Starry evening as an outstanding decorating, critics and creative persons consider it to be the painter's most important works. No marvel, the picture initiated a alallotmentment of arguments and was the cornerstone for verses, fiction and even for the well known recital "Starry, Starry Night" by Don McLean. There are magnificent words in the recital: "Colors altering hue, forenoon area of amber grain,

Unfortunately, no information exists, concerning the attitude of the artist himself to The Starry Night, it was created in a complex period of his life, and he wrote nothing about it to his brother. However, it is known that he long dreamt of creating such picture, depicting bright night with whirling sky and beautiful stars. During the painting, the actions and behaviour of Van Gogh were severe and eccentric, therefore, the emotional power of this picture is greater than his other paintings (Kendall, 1998). Some specialists point at the existence of eleven stars in the picture, although this point is usually contradicted by others, it possesses some truth (Kendall, 20). It is possible that while creating The Starry Night, Van Gogh applied to the story of Joseph (Old Testament), this can be seen after a careful observation of some parts of the composition. However, anything is the annals of decorating, it continues one of the best art works of Vincent Van Gogh, because in it the painter caught the unique instants - the instants of beauty that blends a deep meaning and the artist's dream of everything that appeared round him.

Description of the painting and its features

The Starry Night is the work of an artist's imagination and that is why, contours of houses and stars are vague rather than clear. It is not just the depiction of the village at night. The shining sky full of sparkling stars looks so energetic and lively in comparison with calm and lifeless village. Stars, the sky and the cypress (that is represented in the foreground) symbolise the transition from life to death, that is, the death is like a trip to the star (Jordan, 10). It is, of course, a real night, but with imaginative elements - how the painter embodied his dreams, his understanding of life and death. Vincent Van Gogh thought that the imaginative features added special charm and mystery to his painting - in this way he was going to prove himself that he was worth to be called an artist. In particular, this mixture of graphic style and religious implications makes the painting a special one, it raises unusual associations and powerful emotions.

Second unusual and important fact is that this picture was created from memory, in the asylum at Saint-Remy, also Vincent preferred to paint his canvases in the fresh air (Pickvance, 1986). This fact can explain why the painting is penetrated with so powerful emotional strength unlike many other canvases of the artist. Its stars resemble fireworks, ...