Leo Martínez
During his time at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, Vincent van Gogh created some of his most famous works, including the renowned Starry Night, which he completed in June 1889. The painting depicts the view from his asylum room window, with the addition of an imaginary village. During his stay, he was confined to the asylum grounds, and his paintings reflect his surroundings, including the abandoned garden he could see from his room. Van Gogh's time in the asylum was marked by mental health struggles, with the artist experiencing several collapses and attempting to poison himself. Despite this, he produced over 150 paintings during his stay, working through the night while other patients screamed. He was released from the asylum in May 1890 and died two months later.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Asylum | Saint-Paul asylum, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence |
| Paintings | Starry Night, A Corridor in the Asylum, Women Picking Olives, Irises, Blue Self-Portrait, Mountainous Landscape Behind Saint-Rémy, The Enclosed Wheatfield After a Storm, Green Wheat Field with Cypress, Wheatfield, Saint-Rémy de Provence |
| Number of Paintings | 150+ |
| Colours | Blue, Yellow, and complementary colours |
| Brush Strokes | Short |
| Style | Abstract, Post-Impressionist |
| Subject | Night sky, countryside, stars, moon, village, wheat field, cypress trees |
| Inspiration | View from the asylum window |
| Date | June 1889 |
| Current Location | Museum of Modern Art, New York City |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Starry Night, June 1889
"Starry Night" is one of the most famous paintings by the renowned Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it is a view of the countryside from the artist's room in the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. The painting is a dreamy interpretation of the night sky, with nature's wave-like patterns in the foreground and background, creating a sense of movement through the use of complementary colours. The composition of "Starry Night" is said to resemble the woodblock print "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, with its swirling composition and rich blue tones.
Van Gogh's time in the asylum was marked by mental illness and creative productivity. He admitted himself to the asylum following a mental breakdown and an infamous act of self-mutilation in late December 1888. During his stay, he was confined to the grounds but found solace in painting the abandoned garden outside his room. He wrote many letters to his brother, Theo, describing his surroundings and including large and colourful drawings. In one letter, he mentioned his discontent and wish to leave the asylum. Despite his unhappiness, Van Gogh was incredibly productive during his time in the asylum, completing over 150 paintings, or about one painting daily.
"Starry Night" was painted during the day in Van Gogh's ground-floor studio. It is the only nocturne in the series of views from his bedroom window, and it is considered a masterpiece. The painting depicts an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, with a radiating crescent moon and stylized stars. The village in the painting is an imaginary addition, based on sketches rather than the actual landscape seen from the asylum. Van Gogh's letters suggest that he viewed the cypress trees in the foreground primarily in aesthetic rather than symbolic terms.
The use of colour and brushstrokes in "Starry Night" is characteristic of Van Gogh's style. The painting features short brushstrokes with an artificial colour palette and a focus on luminescence. Scientific analysis has confirmed the use of ultramarine and cobalt blue for the sky, with Indian yellow and zinc yellow for the stars and moon. The swirling sky has been interpreted in various ways, from religious symbolism to representations of the artist's emotional turmoil. Van Gogh himself was critical of the painting, referring to it as a "failure" in letters to his brother. However, "Starry Night" is now considered a "touchstone of modern art" and one of the most recognizable paintings in the Western canon.
Portraits of Cesare Borgia: How Many Exist?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Women Picking Olives, December 1889
In December 1889, Van Gogh painted three versions of "Women Picking Olives". This was during his stay at the asylum of St. Paul near Saint-Rémy in Provence, where he had admitted himself in May 1889. The paintings depict three women using a ladder to pick the higher olives, possibly for their own use.
Van Gogh described the first version as a study from nature "more coloured with more solemn tones", while the second was a studio rendition in a "very discreet range" of colours. The third version, which is considered the most resolved and stylized of the three, was intended for his sister and mother. In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wrote:
> I hope that the painting of the women in the olive trees will be a little to your taste—I sent [a] drawing of it to Gauguin, [...] and he thought it good.
In another letter dated 19 December 1889, Van Gogh described the colours he was using for the final version:
> I’m working on a painting at the moment, women picking olives [...] The field is violet, and further away yellow ochre, the olive trees with bronze trunks have grey-green foliage, the sky is entirely pink, and the small figures [are] pink also. There are only two notes, pink and green, which harmonize, neutralize each other, oppose each other.
The three paintings of "Women Picking Olives" were among several olive tree paintings that Van Gogh created in 1889. The series held special significance for him, representing life, the divine, and the cycle of life. Through these paintings, Van Gogh sought to demonstrate the relationship between man and nature, and the possibility of communion with the divine through interaction with nature.
Baking Opacity Maps: A Substance Painter Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
A Corridor in the Asylum
In May 1889, Vincent van Gogh voluntarily checked himself into the Saint-Paul asylum near Saint-Rémy in southern France. During his year-long confinement, he continued to paint, creating several notable works, including "A Corridor in the Asylum". This piece offers a unique glimpse into the artist's psyche, surroundings, and emotions during his struggle with mental illness.
"A Corridor in the Asylum" is a powerful reflection of Van Gogh's time in the asylum. The painting depicts a long, narrow hallway with arches that create a sense of depth and perspective. The use of light and shadow is striking, with a bright light source at the end of the corridor drawing the viewer's eye. The colours are mostly muted, with dark reds representing shadows and lighter shades of red, almost pink, indicating areas illuminated by the light source.
The painting conveys a sense of loneliness and isolation. The figure in the hallway appears to be in motion, walking towards a room, adding a sense of dynamism to the scene. The repetitive arches and tiles on the floor contribute to a feeling of monotony and routine. The sharp recession of the corridor gives the image a hollow and haunting quality.
Van Gogh's brushstrokes are quick and jagged, adding to the overall mysteriousness of the scene. The painting is a mix of oil colour and essence over black chalk on pink laid ("Ingres") paper. This combination of media gives the image a unique texture and depth. The size of the work is 25 5/8 x 19 5/16 inches (65.1 x 49.1 cm).
"A Corridor in the Asylum" is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is a valuable piece that provides insight into Van Gogh's final years, emotions, and experiences during his time in the asylum.
Painting Your Jet Ski Hull: A DIY Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Irises, May 1889
During his time at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, Vincent van Gogh painted some of his most famous works, including "Starry Night" and "Irises". "Irises, May 1889" is an oil painting depicting a bed of purple irises with a single white blossom, set against a backdrop of lush green leaves, red-orange earth, and yellow flowers. The painting is a landscape with a cropped composition, and the irises are depicted as "still rooted in the earth and intensely alive".
Van Gogh started painting "Irises" within a month of his one-year stay at the asylum, working from nature in the hospital garden. The painting is one of several hundred paintings from a series of paintings that Van Gogh made at the asylum in the last year before his death in 1890. The asylum brought Van Gogh some respite, and he was allowed to set up a studio in one of the rooms of the hospital. He wrote to his brother Theo, describing how he loved the countryside view from his window, with nothing but the morning star.
"Irises" is a unique depiction of irises, as Van Gogh carefully studied the shapes and individualized each flower with the same sincerity and precision as his portraits. The painting also reflects Van Gogh's understanding of colour theory, with the red-orange earth contrasting with the lush green leaves and the deep blues and violets of the irises. The painting was first exhibited at the Société des Artistes Indépendants in September 1889, along with "Starry Night Over the Rhone".
"Irises" held the record for the most expensive artwork in 1987 when it sold for $53.9 million USD, which would be around $100 million in today's economy. The painting has been part of many art exhibitions worldwide and is currently in the permanent collection of The Getty in Los Angeles, California.
Exploring Ancient US Cave Art
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Blue self-portrait, September 1889
During his time at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, Vincent van Gogh created over 150 paintings, including the renowned "Starry Night". The asylum provided him with the freedom and space to create, and he was allowed to set up a studio in one of the rooms. Van Gogh's time in the asylum was marked by mental illness, loneliness, and creative expression through painting.
One of the paintings created during this period is the "Blue Self-Portrait, September 1889". This self-portrait is believed to be one of Van Gogh's final renditions of himself, with only three out of his 36 self-portraits depicting him as an artist, holding his palette and brushes. The painting is characterized by its dark violet-blue tones, with the artist's face portrayed as whitish with yellow hair, creating a striking colour effect. The background features rapid, thickly painted brushstrokes that contrast with the artist's steady and penetrating gaze. The blue smock, golden yellows of his hair and beard, and the pigments on his palette echo the colours he used in his care package from his brother, Theo.
The "Blue Self-Portrait" is a powerful reflection of Van Gogh's state of mind and his surroundings at the time. The portrait conveys a sense of vitality and intensity, with the artist assuming the dual role of model and painter. The background of the painting is ornamented with restless, pulsing forms, reminiscent of the work of mental patients and the rhythms of "Starry Night". The swirling lines and rejection of harmony in the background extend to the depiction of the artist's clothing, reflecting a sense of disorder.
The "Blue Self-Portrait" is currently on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on loan from the Norton Simon Museum. It stands as a testament to Van Gogh's mastery of self-portraiture and his ability to capture his inner world amidst the challenges of his mental health struggles.
The Dark Truth of Painting: Dead Babies as a Medium
You may want to see also
