Leo Martínez
The Starry Night is an oil-on-canvas painting by Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, created in June 1889. It depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village. The painting's celestial elements include Venus, visible in the sky at the time, and a crescent moon, whose depiction is not astronomically accurate. Van Gogh's letters reveal that he viewed the cypress trees in the foreground primarily in aesthetic rather than symbolic terms. The painting has been subject to various interpretations, including religious symbolism and representations of the artist's emotional turmoil.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Painter | Vincent van Gogh |
| Year | 1889 |
| Month | June |
| Date | Around 18th |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | 73.7 x 92.1 cm |
| Location | Museum of Modern Art, New York City |
| Description | A view from the artist's asylum room window at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, with an imaginary village and an exaggerated depiction of cypress trees in the foreground |
| Celestial Bodies | Venus, stars, a crescent moon |
| Colours | Blue, yellow, green |
| Style | Post-Impressionist, expressive, moderately abstract |
| Inspirations | Nature, the countryside, the view from his window, the Bible, medieval woodcuts |
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What You'll Learn
Van Gogh's view from his asylum window
The Starry Night, painted by Vincent van Gogh in June 1889, depicts the view from the artist's asylum room window at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum following a mental breakdown and self-mutilation in late December 1888.
The oil-on-canvas painting portrays a night sky swirling with chromatic blue, a glowing crescent moon, and radiant stars. One or two cypress trees, with dark, curling branches, tower in the foreground, partially obscuring the sky. In the distance, a structured village sits in the lower right of the canvas, with controlled lines forming small cottages and a church steeple. The warm, yellow light emanating from the houses contrasts with the turbulent sky, creating a sense of calm within the painting.
The cypress trees in the painting have been interpreted as a symbolic self-portrait, with their flame-like forms mirroring the artist's emotional turmoil. Van Gogh's letters reveal his intention to experiment with style and his fascination with the night sky, as he believed that "night was more colourful than day" and that stars were not merely white dots but appeared in various colours.
The Starry Night is considered Van Gogh's magnum opus and is regarded as a "touchstone of modern art", offering a glimpse into the artist's unique perspective during his time in isolation.
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The painting's celestial elements
The Starry Night, painted in June 1889, is one of the most well-known works of Vincent van Gogh. It is an oil-on-canvas painting that depicts the view from the artist's asylum room window at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise. The painting's celestial elements include the planet Venus, which was visible in the sky at the time, and a glowing crescent moon, which is not an astronomically accurate depiction. The night sky is filled with chromatic blue swirls and stars rendered as radiating orbs, with yellow, pink, or green hues, as described in van Gogh's letters.
The painting also features a diagonal line coming in from the right, depicting the low rolling hills of the Alpilles mountains. The cypress trees in the foreground are exaggerated in scale compared to other works, with their dark branches curling and swaying, creating a sense of movement. The trees have been described as flame-like, further contributing to the animation of the scene.
The imaginary village in the painting is based on sketches rather than the actual landscape seen from the asylum. It sits in the distance on the lower right of the canvas, with straight, controlled lines forming the small cottages and the slender steeple of a church. The glowing yellow squares of the houses contrast with the turbulent sky, creating a sense of calm within the painting.
Van Gogh's use of contrasting colours and the challenge of painting en plein air at night are evident in this work. The painting offers a glimpse into the artist's emotional state and his interpretation of the world around him during his time in isolation. The celestial elements, combined with the earthly landscape, showcase van Gogh's unique style and expression.
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The imaginary village
Van Gogh was admitted to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in May 1889, following a mental breakdown and an act of self-mutilation. During his year-long stay, he remained highly productive, creating several paintings, including "The Starry Night." While he was not allowed to paint in his bedroom, he was able to make sketches and eventually used these to create newer variations of the view outside his window.
The village in the painting is a fictional element, and its inclusion adds a sense of calm and peace to the turbulent and expressive night sky. The glowing yellow squares of the houses suggest the welcoming lights of peaceful homes. The artist is looking down on the village from an imaginary viewpoint, with cypress trees on the left and olive trees on the right. The steeple of a church rises above the village, with slender lines that create a sense of calm amid the swirling sky.
Van Gogh's brother, Theo, a manager of a Parisian art gallery, was unimpressed by the painting, feeling that the search for style took away from the true sentiment of the scene. However, "The Starry Night" has since become one of Van Gogh's most celebrated works, with its imaginative elements and expressive style contributing to its enduring appeal.
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The cypress trees
The cypress tree is a recurring motif in Van Gogh's work, and it takes centre stage in his painting The Starry Night. The tree depicted in the painting is a real-life cypress tree that grew in the garden of the Saint-Rémy asylum, where Van Gogh committed himself in May 1889.
The Starry Night is one of a series of paintings Van Gogh made of the view from his bedroom window at the asylum, and the cypress tree is a pictorial element that unites these paintings. In some of these paintings, Van Gogh exaggerated the size of the tree, bringing it closer to the picture plane. In The Starry Night, the tree is positioned on the right-hand side of the canvas, its dark and solid form a contrast to the swirling vibrancy of the night sky.
The cypress tree depicted in The Starry Night has been interpreted in various ways. Some have likened its shape to that of a cathedral, a "church" of Van Gogh's own, separate from the white, rigid stone church nestled in the world of people in the painting. Others have interpreted the tree as a symbol of death and immortality, reminiscent of the bright, hot flames and dark, cool bottles that Van Gogh mentioned in his letters.
The cypress tree also holds symbolic meaning for Van Gogh himself. In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote that cypresses were "always occupying [his] thoughts" and that he found them beautiful in line and proportion, comparing them to Egyptian obelisks. The tree in The Starry Night may reflect Van Gogh's belief that he would soon die, as it is depicted as a dark and solid form, with death itself seeming like a surplus of life.
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The artist's emotional turmoil
The Starry Night, painted by Vincent van Gogh in June 1889, is often interpreted as a reflection of the artist's emotional turmoil. The painting depicts the view from the window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, with the addition of an imaginary village. Van Gogh voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum following a mental breakdown and an act of self-mutilation, where he suffered from alternating moods of productivity and despair.
The painting's swirling blue sky, glowing yellow moon, and radiating stars create a sense of turbulence and animation. The exaggerated scale of the cypress trees in the foreground and the twisting, spiraling lines throughout the composition contribute to the sense of emotional upheaval. Van Gogh himself described the painting as an "exaggeration" and a "contortion" of the view, suggesting a departure from reality that may reflect his inner turmoil.
The inclusion of an imaginary village in the painting has been interpreted as a symbol of isolation and alienation. The village is depicted from an elevated, distant viewpoint, emphasizing Van Gogh's physical and emotional remove from the world. The peaceful lights of the village homes contrast with the chaotic sky, perhaps reflecting the artist's longing for calm and stability.
The painting also contains religious symbolism that may relate to Van Gogh's emotional state. Some interpret the twisting lines as a personal Gethsemane, referencing Christ on the Mount of Olives. This could suggest premonitions of suffering or emotional turmoil that Van Gogh was experiencing at the time.
Van Gogh's letters provide additional insight into his emotional state during this period. He wrote about the challenges of painting a starry sky and his desire to convey the true colours of the night. He also expressed his thoughts on the accessibility of the stars, comparing them to death and the unknown. These writings suggest that The Starry Night was a means for Van Gogh to explore and express his emotional turmoil.
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Frequently asked questions
Van Gogh painted The Starry Night during his time at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Van Gogh was inspired by the view from his asylum room window, which looked out onto the mountains of the Alpilles. He wrote to his brother Theo about the view, describing a "square of wheat in an enclosure" and a "morning star" that looked "very big".
The Starry Night has been subject to various interpretations. Some claim it is a realistic account of the position of the stars in June 1889, while others believe it expresses Van Gogh's personal emotional turmoil.
Van Gogh experimented with contrasting colours and the challenge of painting en plein air (outdoors) at night. He also exaggerated the size of the cypress trees in the foreground and used thick outlines and simplified forms inspired by medieval woodcuts.
