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Van Gogh's Starry Night - Edited.edited - Edited
Van Gogh's Starry Night - Edited.edited - Edited
Author’s Name
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Author Note
VAN GOGH’S, THE STARRY NIGHT
Van Gogh’s Starry Night is a piece of art that brings out a mix of emotions evoked by the
night sky (Natalie, 2016). The work is replete with artistic elements and principles which help
in the interpretation of the scene. Its post-impressionism nature reveals itself in the use of
vibrant color and the application of paintwork (Gisbey, 2017). Interestingly, all the elements
of the painting interrelate to achieve Gogh’s design. Specifically, in this work, Gogh uses an
emphasis on every minute detail to elicit thought and reflection. Artists use stress to help the
audience develop an appreciation of the story as intended by the artist (Gisbey, 2017).
Therefore, by looking deeply into these qualities and techniques, viewers get the best out of
(Gogh,2020)
Art Elements
Line
Throughout the work, depth gets depicted using line contrast. At the bottom right
corner of the painting, Gogh uses straight lines and soft strokes for the town. This effect
implies a calm and tranquil place free from any disturbance whatsoever, as its inhabitants are
VAN GOGH’S, THE STARRY NIGHT
asleep (Gisbey, 2017). In contrast, he uses relatively rough strokes for the sky. The heavy
swirls and curves in the strokes depict an atmosphere that is alive. A closer look at the
different brush movements reveals a sky that is busier than the earth, providing light for the
sleeping town. At the foreground of the painting, a cypress tree exists on the landscape. The
lines on the cypress make it have a flame-like appearance, as it extends to the sky. Perhaps,
Gogh used this effect to show how the heaven and the earth are linked though they look
utterly separate at face value. A more in-depth analysis reveals the perception of life, and the
after-life upon death, in heaven. Finally, the thick strokes used in combination with the line
Light
Gogh uses the stars as a source of light in the painting. Besides, the moon stands out
almost at the top right corner of the art. With these heavenly bodies, he traces the movement
of light waves across the blue sky (Natalie, 2016). Further, at the background of the scene,
Gogh uses contour lines to show shadows that are cast at the foot of the distant hills by the
light from the stars. These lines extend at the back of the painting from right to left until the
cypress tree. The artist also uses light contrast to depict the effect of illumination on the
asleep city. The entire lower part of the work appears slightly lit up with the light from the
stars. The intensity of the stars' glow in the sky, compared with the relatively dimmer
reflection on the city, makes the audience concentrate more on the bustling atmosphere.
Color
The artist uses complementary colors throughout the painting. The most prominent
colors in this work are blue and yellow. There are touches of black in a few areas too. Blue is
the color used for the vast sky, which covers about 75% of the scene. Color blue depicts
coolness. Therefore, in this painting, the color displays the nature of the air above the town.
Gogh used yellow for the stars, and black for the cypress tree and the distant shadows at the
VAN GOGH’S, THE STARRY NIGHT
background of the scene. Yellow evokes the feeling of warmth. In this scene, it matches the
overall energy characterizing the painting. A little green exists in thin faint strokes, perhaps
incidental to the unavoidable mixing of blue and yellow. It is worth noting that all these
colors do not blend; they bring out a distinct contrast. And as a result of that, the scene
Interestingly, the intensity of the colors seems to give them a vibrating motion. Depth
in the scene from gets created by an atmospheric perspective. Color blue seems to deem in
the background to an almost yellow-white color. The foreground remains bright with deep
Texture
When one runs their finger on the surface of the painting, the texture is rough.
Besides, one can easily see the strokes from the surface, and in some areas, it appears like the
painting is about to fall off. That is sufficient evidence that Gogh used the impasto texture to
bring out the sky's living impression. Scrutiny of the art reveals thick brushstrokes, implying
that the artist may have mixed the paint on the canvas while designing it. The texture left by
Shape
The work contains circles, curves, and wavy lines. All these shapes exist in different
objects in the scene. These shapes are not volumetric, they appear flat, and generally, the
picture appears in 3 Dimensions. It is worth noting that Gogh used forms to bring out each
figure's character in the painting. For example, the long spire in the town characterizes the
church. The flame-like object at the foreground describes the cypress tree. The curved
outlines at the background characterize the hill formations, and the small rectangular
structures in the town characterize the houses. These figures create a personality that gets
observed in the painting. For instance, the spire makes the church imposing in the
VAN GOGH’S, THE STARRY NIGHT
background, the flame-like cypress tree seems weak but determined and sure, and the yellow
stars assume a proud attitude. The cypress tree, linking the earth and the heavens, is set at the
foreground to symbolize the importance of sequences in life. Also, the church in the
background represents the Gogh’s native heritage. Lastly, the stars in the foreground
Space
Through a variety of brush strokes, Gogh’s work achieves a stunning depth and
space. Different color intensity also makes space. For example, the blue color fades in the
distance to show the creation of space. Interestingly, the size of the shapes used also creates
an impression of depth. The town, which appears small, is located deep in the background.
On the other hand, the cypress tree has a relatively more significant figure, so they
appear in the foreground. The distant space is not left empty; it is closed. The artist has filled
Art Principles
Gogh used this principle to emphasize the details of his painting. The work itself is
74cm by 92cm. Audiences who view this work have no difficulty in observing it from a
relatively close distance of at most 2 meters. However, viewers may miss out on the minute
details when they stand more than 2 meters from the painting. The objects in the art are of
different sizes.
Interestingly, the stars appear more significant to the audience's eye than they are
naturally. It seems, Gogh used distorted scale on the stars to depict their roles in the night
sky. Apart from the starry sky, the proportions of the other figures are accurate. The cypress
tree might appear large because of the atmospheric perspective used in the painting. There is
VAN GOGH’S, THE STARRY NIGHT
also evidence of a hierarchical scale in the art, depicted by the enlarged size of the stars. The
effect of this technique is that it shows the importance of the stars in the night sky. In the
painting, the composition of the proportion of the objects is well-spaced. For example, the
houses in the town relate well in size with the distant hills in the background.
Balance.
Gogh used asymmetrical balance in his drawing. The moon balances the weight
brought by the cypress tree on the left side of the work. Interestingly, the symmetrical
balance gets achieved when the cypress tree begins thickly from the bottom of the left side of
the scene as it thins upwards. On the other hand, the moon shines bright on the top right part
of the drawing.
Rhythm
In this work, Gogh used the strokes of his brush to make rhythms in the painting. The
long curves that he placed on the sky and the curvy strokes on the cypress tree show a
moving pace that gives the atmosphere a living nature. This rhythm splits the drawing into
two, the alive sky, and the sleepy town. However, the intensity of the rhythm gives the entire
Emphasis
Many factors in the drawing attract the audience's eye. The first item that catches the
eye is the yellow moon. Viewers also get invited by the black cypress tree at the foreground
and the vast blue sky. Besides, the calm colors of the diagram get interrupted by the bright
yellow moon and stars. These attractions help readers develop an interest in the painting
because they provoke thought. Finally, Gogh uses psychological focus in his drawing to
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear that Van Gogh, in "the Starry Sky," has used different artistic
techniques to bring out the principle of emphasis (Natalie, 2016). From the creative use of
color contrast to establishing a rhythm throughout the work, the audience’s thoughts get
References
Gogh, V. (n.d). The Starry Night - Vincent van Gogh. Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved
van-gogh/bgEuwDxel93-Pg?hl=en
Natalie, P. (2016). "Van Gogh: An Exploration of Disorder and Aesthetics." Honors Theses.
352.