Interesting facts about The Starry Night.
The Starry Night painting is perhaps one of the most well-known artworks ever. This painting, painted by the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh in the last part of his career, has a very important place in art history. In order to understand why this painting has such a big impact, it is necessary to examine how it was made in context, the content of the painting and the effect it had on artists in the following centuries.
Painted in the mental hospital
Vincent Van Gogh, who made revolutionary innovations to the art world, had mental illnesses and passed away with great tragedies. Born in 1853, the artist died when he was 37 years old. In fact, we should say that he committed suicide because Van Gogh squeezed himself with a pistol while he was lying in a mental hospital in France between 1889-1890. However, his mental illness did not prevent him from producing unprecedented works. Van Gogh drew the Starry Night while he was in this mental hospital.
For the Starry Night painting, an imaginary interpretation of the city of Saint-Remy-de-Provence, seen from the room of the artist’s mental hospital, can be called. In one of the countless letters he wrote to his brother Theo Van Gogh, he says the picture is as follows: “I see a field of wheat in my iron fence window. In the morning, I watch the sunrise in all its glory.”
Post-Impressionism inspirations
Traces of the post-impressionism movement in other works of the artist are also evident in the Starry Night. Short and skillful brush strokes, an artificial palette of colors and the attention to shine are particularly evident in the sky. The tones of blue and golden yellow are inspired by his earlier works.
Actually there is no such village
In the balanced composition of this immortal work, the vortex of the sky, the stars with its own shape, the moon illuminating the night, a village that has fallen asleep in peace and a long cypress tree are outstanding. Although the view is a real view from Van Gogh’s room in the mental hospital, the artist is not true to the truth when painting.
The village and the church tower in the picture are elements created entirely with the imagination of the artist. In other words, such a village and church could not be seen from his room. It is believed by the art historians that the artist draws these elements inspired by the architecture of his native Netherlands. Also, we see that the iron railings in the window of the painter’s mental hospital are not included in the picture. Here we can understand that he depicts his longing for freedom.
Van Gogh didn’t like Starry Night
Vincent Van Gogh, in his letter to his brother Theo regarding the paintings he made in his mental hospital, says: “The paintings that I have made here are pictures of wheat fields, mountains and orchards. Other paintings mean nothing to me.”
This is not the first Starry Night
The Starry Night painting we know was drawn in 1889. However, a year before this date, Van Gogh drew another Starry Night. He drew this work, Starry Night Over the Rhone, when Van Gogh settled in France. During this period, the artist started to pay special attention to night lights, stars and the moon.
The painting may be related to reath
The cypress tree in the picture is usually found in cemeteries and has an air evoking death. Van Gogh’s words support this link: “Looking at the stars always immerses me in the dream world. I ask myself, we travel between the spots on the map of France and reach a certain point, but why can’t we reach these bright spots in the sky? We can also die to reach the stars, just as we jump on the train and go to Tarascon or Rouen.”
Starry NRight is on display in New York
Lillie Bliss, the daughter of a wealthy US fabric merchant, is a keen art lover and collector for works made in the early 20th century. Bliss, who played a major role in the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan together with Abby Alrich Rockefeller, died in 1931 and his personal collection of paintings passed under the auspices of this museum. Museum of Modern Art had to sell three paintings from Bliss’s collection in order to purchase Starry Night. The Starry Night was achieved by selling some of the images in Bliss’ precious painting collection.
Inspired by thousands of artists
This famous work of Vincent Van Gogh was not understood when he was alive, but Starry Night is one of the most famous works in the world today. Hundreds of artists and designers have inspired this painting and produced the reproduction of this work with different materials.
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