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In this ebook, I will be taking a closer look at The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, which he painted in 1889. With swirling lines and dramatic colors, this ...
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DAN SCOTT
In this ebook, I will be taking a closer look at The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, which he painted in 1889. With swirling lines and dramatic colors, this dreamy depic- tion is one of van Gogh’s most iconic works.
“I don’t know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream.” Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889
Used to Create a Sense of Movement and Turbulence
When I think of The Starry Night , the first thing which comes to mind is the swirling brushwork which creates a sense of movement and turbulence, especially in the sky. In fact, a physicist by the name of Jose Luis Aragon suggested that the swirling brush- work in paintings like The Starry Night have an uncanny resemblance to the math- ematical expression of real turbulence shown in natural occurrences like whirlpools and air streams. You can read more on this here.
Van Gogh used a loaded brush to build up a thick, impasto texture which you can see in the close-ups below. This impasto texture is a key feature in many of van Gogh’s works.
Realism Meets Abstraction
To me, this painting marks an interesting area somewhere between realism and complete abstraction. Van Gogh pushed the colors and style in order to depict his unique interpretation of the world, but not so much as to lose all qualities of realism and representation. You know exactly what the subject is, but it is far from what you would see in life.
I enjoy this area in painting as I think it allows for some personal expression, with- out departing too far from representational art standards.
But of course, this is all just personal commentary which does not really matter. There is no right answer with this kind of stuff. Some admire van Gogh for his unique interpretations, whilst others criticise him for stepping too far away from the boundaries of reality. It is just interesting to ponder over.
Here are some of the key takeaways from The Starry Night which you could incorporate into your own paintings: