a brief understanding of the starry night paintings

8/6/2019 A Brief Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings

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A Brief Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings.

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh has

risen to the peak of artistic

achievements. Although Van Goghsold only one painting in his life, the

aftermath of his work is enormous.

Starry Night is one of the most well

known images in modern culture as

well as being one of the most

replicated and sought after prints.

From Don McLean's song 'Starry,

Starry Night' (Based on the Painting),

to the endless number of merchandise

products sporting this image, it is nearly impossible to shy away from this

amazing painting.

One may begin to ask what features within the painting are responsiblefor its ever

growing popularity. There are actually several main aspects that

intrigue those who view this image, and each factor affects each

individual differently. The aspects will be described below:

y 1. There is the night sky filled with swirling clouds, stars ablazewith their own luminescence, and a bright crescent moon.

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 thepainting, 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.

y 2. Below the rolling hills of the horizon lies a small town. There isa peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps

the cooldark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of

our own warm childhood years filled with imagination of what

exists in the night and dark starry skies. The center point of the

town is the tall steeple of the church, reigning largely over the

smaller buildings. This steeple casts down a sense of stabilityonto the town, and also creates a sense of size and seclusion.

y 3. To the left of the painting there is a massive dark structurethat develops an even greater sense of size and isolation. This

structure is magnificent when compared to the scale of other

objects in the painting. The curving lines mirror that of the sky

and create the sensation of depth in the painting. This structure

also allows the viewer to interpret what it is. From a mountain to


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a leafy bush, the analysis of this formation is wide and full of

variety.

Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889.

Vincent van Gogh: Sunflowers

A Brief Understanding of the Sunflower Paintings.

There are pieces of artwork drifting through

galleries around the world that have become

nearly synonymous with the artists name and

techniques. The various paintings of Sunflowers

and Vincent van Gogh are a perfect example of

this. Not only can one make a mental connection

between the artists name and painting but also

between the artist and their influence on thedevelopment of art through these paintings.

Vincent van Gogh's Sunflower paintings have

been duplicated many times by various artists

(although never reaching the vivacity andintensity of Van Gogh's) and displayed

everywhere; from households to art expos.

Upon looking at these paintings one begins to notice aspects that seem to

flow

from one piece to another. The colors are vibrant and express emotions typically associatedwith the life of sunflowers: bright yellows of the full bloom to arid browns of wilting and

death; all of the stages woven through these polar opposites are presented. Perhaps this very

technique is what draws one into the painting; the fulfillment of seeing all angles of the

spectrum of life and in turn reaching a deeper understanding of how all living things are tied

together.

There are many pieces within this series of paintings (each is clearly

identifiable as a Van Gogh work) in which there are only minor differences


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that separate them. The overall layout of the painting along with

positioning of the actual sunflowers usually remains the same in the

similar paintings. Below you can see highlighted areas of difference

between two similar sunflower paintings.

To the left you can see

two sunflower paintings

of the series under the

same title; however,

these two pieces have

some minor differences.

y 1. There aredifferences in petal structureon a few of the flowers.

Located in bubble number one

you can see how the second

piece has more petal "bulk"and does not follow the

sweeping "V" motion as is seen in the first piece.

y 2. The center "eye" of the flower contains different colors. In the first example thecenter is filled with a greenish yellow, while in the second piece the center is filled

with black.

y 3. This is also the case for bubble number three. The leafy structure is yellow in thefirst piece and resides as light brown in the second piece.

y 4. The leaf located in bubble number four is nearly identical in both pieces; howeverin the first piece it is overlapped by the large drooping flower and is green in color. In

the second piece there is a small but clear gap between the drooping flower and theleaf, and the leaf is black in color.

Although Van Gogh's sunflower paintings

are very similar in many aspects, each

stands out as its own unique work of art.Van Gogh began painting sunflowers after

he left Holland for France in pursuit of

creating an artistic community. The firsts

were created to decorate his friend PaulGauguin's bedroom. The majority of Van

Gogh's sunflowers in vases were created

in Arles, France during 1888-1889. Van

Gogh did create some sunflower paintingsprior to this time though in Paris, France around the time of1887. Thisseries consists of sunflower clippings verses sunflowers in vases. You can

see an example of this series to the right.

According to BBC.co.uk:

"These series of paintings were made possible by the innovations in


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manufactured pigments in the 19th Century. Without the vibrancy of

the newcolors, such as chrome yellow, Van Gogh may never have

achieved the intensity of Sunflowers."

Regardless, Van Gogh's paintings ofsunflowers have altered mankind's

perspective of art and life. These

paintings captivate the mind and leave

you astounded in their simplistic beauty.

The flowing wilted steams and the burst

of lovely yellow draws ones attention

around the painting, without disrupting

the balance of the piece. These paintings

are often duplicated but never reach the pure power of Van Gogh's.

Feel free to click on any of the sunflower paintings on this page to receivean enlarged view. Below you can look around through various other

information we have listed about sunflowers. Or download wallpapers,icons, and other things for you to use.

The Vincent van Gogh Gallery's Sunflower Resource:

Sunflower Information:

y Real Sunflowersy Other Sunflower Artists

Sunflower Downloads:

y Free Wallpapersy Free Icons

Worthy Links:

y Van Gogh Museum

To return to Vincent van Gogh Paintings.


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The Old Tower in the

Fields

Starry Night Over the

Rhone

The De Ruijterkade in

Amsterdam

Mountainous Landscape Behind

Saint-Paul Hospital

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a brief understanding of the starry night paintings

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