Once Upon a Starry Night

            The Starry Night is a lovely piece that Vincent van Gogh painted in 1889 while in Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum of Saint-Remy.  The masterpiece uses color and texture to make the painting seem very active and yet calming.  With the use of the expressive line this painting, van Gogh was able to paint so very free and near chaotic, all the while delivering a near nostalgic feeling.  The emotions one can receive by just gazing upon this painting, pondering life and remembering the past, are endless.

            There is an extreme contrast between the clouds and stars in the sky and the sky itself.  The yellows, blues and whites make up the marvelous night sky.  The clouds are very uplifting and generate a left to right flow of the painting, giving us the impression they are traveling towards the town at the base of the hills.  There seems to be a peaceful essence flowing from the town, as it appears to be a calm and happy place.  The crescent moon is very bright and bold, as it shines in the heavens.  The fire-like castle built structure, on the left side of The Starry Night, is much larger than anything else in the town.  The design of this structure is much like the sky’s flow; this makes it the most important part of the painting.  The reason is that it inspires you to imagine what it is, who built it, and why.

            The erratic and expressive lines keep the viewer's eyes moving about the painting, following the curves almost bouncing from star to star. Following the clouds makes it feel like your eyes are dancing across the sky, which to some may cause childhood flashbacks of very fond memories as they were carefree and innocent.  The entire painting was painted using very expressive lines, which are free to go about as they feel.  The lines are reminiscence of old woodcuts, with the line seemingly etched in exaggeration across the canvas.

            If you look at this painting with an open mind and open heart you might find an enlightening experience, as I did.  It will calm you and please your senses as you slip away in a dreamlike awe.  The calming feeling you get from looking at this painting is similar to that of lying in the grass on perfect summer’s night under the stars; it is quiet and you can hear the crickets in the distance.  That feeling, of joy and happiness, overcomes you to grant you peace of mind, near Zen.  Van Gogh achieved this feat through the use of many inclusions of expression and meaning to this masterpiece. 

            The Starry Night was a very important painting to Vincent van Gogh as it was his masterpiece that put him on par with Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, giving him the artistic freedom that he so longed to indulge.  It is a true shame that only one year after The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh shot himself and died, when he was in his prime and highlight of his artistic career.