Vincent van Gogh: The Starry Night

I have a passion for Art. And being a creative thinker, writer, and painter, I take immense pleasure in paintings. One of my favorite artists is Vincent van Gogh, the famous suicidal Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. His painting "The Starry Night" is one of my favorite paintings. I love that painting not only because of the intense gloomy dark brushwork but also because of the story the painting tells.

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh spent quite a time in an asylum to cope up with his psychotic delusions. During his stay in the asylum called Saint-Remy-de-Provence, he painted The Starry Night. It depicts the view from the window of van Gogh's asylum room just before the sunrise, with the addition of an idealized village. Cypress tress are the most predominant elements of his paintings. The morning star next to the Cypress tree is Venus. Obviously, van Gogh didn't know that the star was Venus. He was just awed by the brightest morning star during the late dawn. He sought solace in it. It was the researches who determined that Venus was visible and was at its brightest during dawn in Provence in the spring of 1889. The moon is stylized version of the moon in its waning crescent phase.

Ironically, Van Gogh deemed his painting as a 'failure' in his letters. I guess he would have never imagined that his painting would become his legacy and carry his name forward in the years to come. I wonder why he deemed it as 'failure'? Well, artists like him usually have high standards of expectations from themselves so maybe I can feel him a bit. Keeping aside his own view of his painting, enthusiasts and critics love his painting. The reason this painting touches my soul is because when I see this painting, I can see the sublimated image of Van Gogh's deepest emotions during his stay in the asylum. The stripy oil strikes reflect Van Gogh's individuality as an impressionist. I love how the shades of blue and yellow blend so well to depict the gloomy but hoepeful mood of the night in most flawless manner possible. This piece of Vincent van Gogh's finest works is now preserved in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.