Painting Name | The Starry Night |
Painter Name | Vincent Van Gogh |
Completion Date | 1889 |
Place of Creation | France |
Size | 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm (29 in × 36¼ in) |
Technique | Oil |
Material | Canvas |
Current Location | Museum of Modern Art New York City |
An inspiration for many, this painting has become Van Gogh’s most famous art work of all time as it has appeared in many TV shows and a movie. Van Gogh painted it while being in a room of Saint Remy’s. Nevertheless, as many people believe that it is literal depiction of the outer view from the windows of the room, the truth is Van Gogh did many displacement and add-ons to the scene to make it more perfect.
The village and the blue sky are true to the real nature and there is no mention about any changes (as he did change the location of a constellation in his previous painting Starry Night over the Rhone). But the cypress is totally added and the mountain range behind the city is actually can scene from the other windows of the room. But due to these mixture and combinations, the whole scene stands out with Van Gogh’s eerie style of Impressionism. The curve-shaped depiction of scenery has become van Gogh’s signature style after its use in many of his paintings. We recognize it by its curvy lines and spread, emphasized stars in the sky.
Surprisingly, Van Gogh himself didn’t like this painting much as he described his dislike in a letter to his brother Theo. He said “…and the rest says nothing to me, because it lacks individual intention and feeling in the lines. Where these lines are close and deliberate it begins to be a picture, even if it is exaggerated.”
Though, it was just a mild dislike which he mended later according to his friend Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard’s suggestions.
This beautiful painting executed while being treated for mental illness in the Saint Remy represents his intact artistic ability which only grew by the time.
Edit: In our poll, this painting has won as the Vincent van Gogh painting which most people would like to save in the end of the world scenario in our poll.