Starry Night:The Magnum Opus of Vincent Van Gogh

When Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night he said he was in need for religion and as a viewer it certainly takes you some place spiritual. This piece has a tranquility to it that couldn't have been easy to capture. Van Gogh painted to candlelight at night and was inspired by the view from his sanitarium window. He was put there after having a fight with his best friend the year before and this led to him cutting off his ear. After that he was committed. The fight made Van Gogh into a very dark place. The painting showcases him wanting to escape into the night. In 1889 when Starry Night was painted the streets were poorly lit by gaslight. His vivid color and his crazy swirling brush strokes showcases him wanting to escape into the night even though its dark there is light and hope to be found.

The contrast is part of what makes the piece so beautiful. In Starry Night and some other paintings of Van Gogh, the elements are connected so that winding lines are transformed into stars in the dark sky, energetic strokes in the ends of the cypress, curved surfaces created mountain crests, and geometric forms reflected the architecture of the place. This is a great example of an impressionist work. Van Gogh also created Starry Night over the Rhone which had a lot of similarities. He also created Café Terrace at Night but in that the stars didn’t have such a powerful glow nor does the painting make you follow it all around like his other two famous works. The focal point is on a bright yellow wall in the foreground. Nonetheless all the pieces are powerful and have influenced artists for over a century and will continue to do so.