Isabella Flores
The Starry Night, often referred to without the definite article as Starry Night, is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. The original painting measures 74 cm x 92 cm and has been housed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1941.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh |
| Date | June 1889 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 74 cm x 92 cm |
| Subject | View from the east-facing window of van Gogh's asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, with the addition of an imaginary village |
| Current location | Museum of Modern Art, New York City |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's dimensions are 74 cm x 92 cm
The Starry Night, often called simply Starry Night, is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where it has been since 1941. The painting's dimensions are 74 cm x 92 cm.
Van Gogh created The Starry Night in mid-June 1889, inspired by the view from his bedroom window at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The former monastery functioned as a mental asylum, where Van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself following a mental breakdown and an infamous act of self-mutilation that occurred in late December 1888. The painting depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village.
Harvard astronomer Charles A. Whitney conducted an astronomical study of The Starry Night. He saw the depiction of a spiral galaxy in the sky and theorised that the swirls could represent the wind, evoking the mistral that triggered Van Gogh's first breakdown after entering the asylum in July 1889, less than a month after painting The Starry Night.
Art historian Albert Boime also studied the painting, identifying not only Venus but also the constellation Aries in the celestial elements. He suggested that Van Gogh originally intended to paint a gibbous moon but "reverted to a more traditional image" of the crescent moon.
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It was painted in June 1889
The Starry Night, often referred to as simply Starry Night, is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. It was painted in June 1889, inspired by the view from the artist's bedroom window at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Van Gogh had voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum, a former monastery, on 8 May 1889, following a mental breakdown and an infamous act of self-mutilation that occurred in late December 1888.
In the weeks leading up to the creation of The Starry Night, Van Gogh had been working on several sketches and paintings of the surrounding countryside. In early June, he wrote to his brother Theo, describing the view he had witnessed that morning: "This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big". A few days later, he mentioned in another letter that he had been working outside for a few days. On June 9, he wrote about one of these works, F1547 The Enclosed Wheatfield After a Storm. He also described a second landscape, F719 Green Wheat Field with Cypress, which he had painted en plein air, in a letter to his sister Wil on June 16, 1889.
On June 18, 1889, less than a month after painting The Starry Night, Van Gogh suffered his first breakdown after entering the asylum. This was triggered by the mistral, a strong wind that had a profound effect on him during his time in Provence. Two days later, Vincent wrote to Theo, stating that he had painted "a starry sky", marking the creation of The Starry Night. The painting depicts the view from his east-facing window just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village. It is the only nocturne in the series of views from his bedroom window.
The Starry Night has been described as a "touchstone of modern art" and is considered one of the most recognizable paintings in the Western canon. It has been the subject of various interpretations and studies by art historians and astronomers, who have analysed its symbolic content, topographical accuracy, and astronomical elements. Despite initially referring to the painting as a “failure" in a letter to painter Émile Bernard in late November 1889, Van Gogh's masterpiece has stood the test of time and remains a beloved and influential work of art.
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Van Gogh made several sketches for the painting
The Starry Night, painted in June 1889, is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. It is often regarded as one of the most recognisable paintings in the Western canon and has been described as a "touchstone of modern art". The painting has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1941.
The pictorial element uniting all of these paintings is the diagonal line coming in from the right, depicting the low rolling hills of the Alpilles mountains. In 15 of the 21 versions, cypress trees are visible beyond the far wall enclosing the wheat field. Van Gogh exaggerated their size in six of these paintings, most notably in F717 Wheat Field with Cypresses and The Starry Night, bringing the trees closer to the picture plane.
The village in the painting is an imaginary addition, based on sketches rather than the actual landscape seen from the asylum. It has been identified as either a recollection of Van Gogh's Dutch homeland or based on a sketch he made of the town of Saint-Rémy. In either case, it is an imaginary component of the picture, not visible from the window of the asylum bedroom.
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It depicts the view from his asylum window
The original Starry Night painting by Vincent van Gogh measures 74 cm by 92 cm. Van Gogh created this oil-on-canvas work in June 1889, depicting the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. This former monastery, known as Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, served as a mental asylum where Van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself after experiencing a mental breakdown and self-mutilation.
The painting captures the scene just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village. It is the only nocturne in the series of views from his bedroom window. In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh described his inspiration: "This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big."
Art historian Albert Boime has interpreted the painting as depicting not only the topographical elements of Van Gogh's view but also the celestial realm. Boime identifies the planet Venus and the constellation Aries in the composition. He suggests that Van Gogh initially intended to paint a gibbous moon but reverted to the more traditional crescent shape, with the bright aureole as a possible remnant of the original concept.
Harvard astronomer Charles A. Whitney conducted an independent astronomical study of the painting. While disagreeing with Boime on the constellation, he confirmed the visibility of Venus in Provence at the time. Whitney also interprets the swirls in the sky as representing wind, specifically the mistral that triggered Van Gogh's first breakdown after entering the asylum in July 1889, less than a month after painting The Starry Night.
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It's been called a touchstone of modern art
The Starry Night, an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, has been described as a "touchstone of modern art". The painting, created in June 1889, is one of the most famous and recognisable works in the history of Western art. It has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1941 and is regarded as an iconic image in modern culture.
The painting depicts the view from the east-facing window of Van Gogh's asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village. The swirling sky has been interpreted in various ways, including religious symbolism and representations of the artist's emotional turmoil. Art historians have linked the swirling sky to contemporary astronomical discoveries, with some arguing that the bright aureole around the crescent moon is a remnant of an original gibbous version. Harvard astronomer Charles A. Whitney, for example, theorised that the swirls in the sky could represent wind, specifically the mistral that triggered Van Gogh's first breakdown after entering the asylum.
Van Gogh himself was critical of the painting, referring to it as a "failure" in letters to his brother, Theo. Despite this, the work has become a powerful example of individualised expression in modern landscape painting. Van Gogh's use of thick outlines and simplified forms, inspired by medieval woodcuts, further contributes to the painting's modern aesthetic.
The painting's iconic status is evident in its widespread recognition and influence. It has been the subject of numerous interpretations and studies, with art historians and astronomers alike offering their insights into its symbolic and scientific elements. The Starry Night's enduring popularity and cultural significance solidify its place as a touchstone of modern art, inspiring and captivating audiences generations after its creation.
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Frequently asked questions
The original Starry Night painting by Vincent van Gogh measures 74 cm by 92 cm.
The painting has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City since 1941.
Van Gogh painted Starry Night in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in June 1889.
Van Gogh was inspired by the view from his east-facing window at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, which he voluntarily admitted himself into following a mental breakdown in December 1888. He added an imaginary village to the landscape.
