Art Elements

 


The piece listed above is Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh (1889). 

Vincent Van Gogh is not only known for his work but also for his very prominent manic episode where amid a hallucination he severed his own ear and later offered it as a gift. Due to this, he began his year-long stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum. With his constant battles with mania and hallucinations, he would have very highs and lows in his mood, stability, and mental health. He was in a constant mental battle against himself for a year but he would always wright in letters about how beautiful the night sky was. However, he was never allowed to paint in his room, as most items are restricted in mental institutions. 

This piece is a window into Van Gogh's mind, how he views the world and what he sees as beauty. The wavy swirls of light in the sky danced over the quiet town bringing a sense of ease. The tall dark tree looming over the buildings almost gives viewers a sense of dread. Seeing this tall, dark, the almost scary tree can be viewed as darkness. There can be so much darkness up above your small town, but the sky is pretty. The sky brings back that sense of calm and beauty. The town is asleep and it is reflected in this painting. The sky may seem chaotic in how it dances, but it moves slowly and delicately to not wake up the townspeople. 

One element that I noticed immediately was the use of lines in Starry Night. Lines are a great way to detect movement. due to this audience members can visualize the sky moving in a soothing motion. Gentle swirls put one's mind at ease. However, the tree is jagged and uneven. It makes me feel almost uncomfortable and not at all calm like I am when I look at the rest of the painting. Which I suppose is the point. Van Gogh's personal experience when remembering the view from the window was that he was experiencing a lot of darkness but the sky, the hills, and the town are a reminder that one needs to take a moment and look up rather than just at the tree. Even in the buildings, his use of lines is simple and easy, for simple people living simple lives. 

Another element, that I believe makes itself pretty prominent here, is the use of color. I briefly touched upon this previously, but the use of color can play a large portion in this metaphor. The tree is painted with dark and intimidating colors, a striking contrast to the sky. The sky is enhanced with royal blues and gentle greens. Careful yellows dancing around the moon and what I can suppose is Venus. All the while the rich light is reflecting on the sleeping town. 

Lastly is Vincent Van Gogh's use of texture in his piece. When you look closely at this painting you can see nearly every brush stroke painted along the canvas. More prominent in the swirls of the sky. Viewers can follow along with each stroke in an almost hypnotic kind of way. You can almost lose yourself in analyzing the texture of his work. Again with the tree, you can follow along with the smooth strokes of the trunk. However, if you look harder at the tree you can even see that he even dapped the brush and it gave this portion of the artwork more dimension, which I love. The buildings are kept simple in texture, to not distract the audience from the main portion of the piece. As well as the crops with can almost lose yourself in. 

I have always loved this piece and do in fact own a copy of it. It is my favorite painting since I was little and in a way, I have an emotional tie to Van Gogh's work since I see it every day in my living room. It makes me feel better just by looking at it. Reminding me that even though I may be feeling down and uneasy, to look up at the sky and look at how pretty it is. 


References

“Oil Painting.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/oil-painting.

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