In interpreting this painting, it seems that Vincent van Gogh created the painting in order to make its viewer think about the endlessness and mysteriousness of the night sky. It could mean to bring good things, but nothing is guaranteed. Also, it provides an individual with a sense of guidance. The North Star, for instance, has provided people with physical guidance for thousands of years. In general, however, night skies serve as an object a person can stare at in hopes of figuring the complications of life out.
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.
van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Oil Painting. Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.
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Van Gogh’s use of white and yellow creates a spiral effect and draws attention to the sky. Vertical lines such as the cypress tree and church tower softly break up the composition without retracting from the powerful night sky depicted in Starry Night. Also his choice of dark blues and greens were complemented with touches of mint green showing the reflection of the moon. The buildings in the centre of the painting are small blocks of yellows, oranges, and greens with a dash of red to the left of the church. The dominance of blue in Starry Night is balanced by the orange of the night sky elements. Van Gogh paints the rich colors of the night and this corresponds with the true character of this Starry Night, whereby colors are used to suggest emotion.
van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Oil Painting. Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.
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Also, it can be seen that van Gogh’s passion for nighttime is evident in the Starry Night painting, where the powerful sky sits above the quiet town. It seems that van Gogh is contrasting life and death with luminous stars and a gloomy, peaceful village. The main light sources are the bright stars and crescent moon. There are various interpretations of Starry Night and one is that this canvas depicts hope. Starry Night shows the vast power of nature and the church spire and cypress tree – representing man and nature – both point to the heavens.
van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night. 1889. Oil Painting. Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.
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In conclusion, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is filled with symbolism. This painting evokes many thoughts and feelings within the person viewing it. In this case, I was struck with a feeling of wonder. Van Gogh, like many famous artists, was always trying to convey messages to his audience about his emotions. From the objects depicted in his paintings, to the color scheme, to something as small as the length of the stroke he used, Van Gogh described his life like no other
