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Tyler Harr
Professor Marion Archer
Understanding Art
29 July 2015
Analysis of A Starry Night
This painting is one of the most
iconic paintings of any time period. Starry
Night by Vincent Van Gogh pictured left
(Fig 1), draws viewers in with the endlessly
swirling sky and glowing moon and stars.
Ive seen this work on the back of phone
cases, as peoples computer backgrounds,
and so many other places. Why has this
painting stood out among so many others
Fig. 1. Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night

from its time period and style? Why this oil on canvas

work endured history and still known by the general population? Van Goghs Starry Night shows
classic art elements that have been around for years, but is unique in its context and history. This
makes the painting standout and is among the finest works of art.
Being one the most famous works of art, what is it that makes this painting art. In order
to delve into the history and context of the work, first the basic elements of art must be
identified. First of all, art has to contain space. Although this work is indeed a two-dimensional
painting, it creates an illusion of being more. The town seems to be far away from the viewer and
the sky is even farther in all its vastness. Van Gogh makes this painting seem more realistic and

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puts us into the work, by using space. The artist also uses the next element, line. The lines in the
sky are there to draw your eye over to the moon. The wind seems to flow to the right, which is all
an effort of line. Line also gives the tree more detail and gives it life, details of roots and illusion
of it growing. The third element of art is shape. This work has mostly organic shapes, modeling
after a realistic nighttime scene. The shapes are directly related to a real-life object, the moon, a
town, the glow of stars and so on. These elements help bring out important details in the work.
Other elements of art are in play here, giving Starry Night its starry presence. The
use of light is clearly evident by the glow that the moon and stars given off that light up the sky,
hence the name of the painting. But the shadows of the sky contrast the bright lights and give the
painting more drama. Texture can be seen on the tree, the lines help create an organic rough
surface, that even if you were allowed to touch, wouldnt feel the way it looks. Color is also used
in this work. The cool colors are used heavily for the sky and the darkness of the sky and town.
The warm colors help contrast with the moon and stars. All different values of those colors are
used to make them look like the light is fading into the darkness and blending in with the
mundane backdrop.
The principles of design are also present in this painting. Van Gough used placement and
balance effectively. The large tree, off center, balances the moon that is off on the opposite
corner. Without one of them, the painting would seem very strange and unbalanced but his
intentions of balancing the work are clear. The visual weight of these objects adds a sense of
symmetry to the work. The moon in the corner seems to stick out, or have emphasis brought to
it. I think the lines sweeping across the endless sky up achieve this and over to the glowing
moon. This gives the viewer a place to look and adds motion to the art. Proportion and scale are
used well to give the three-dimensional effect and draw attention to the sky. One might think the

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sky details are too large, but they are being showcased and have emphasis in this painting. This
painting is full of classic art terms and definitions that help this this work apart and make it a
classic that the whole world is so familiar with.
After delving into what the painting looks like, it is also important to look at how the
work was made and with what materials. Starry Night is an oil painting on a canvas, where it
currently resides in the Museum of Modern Art. Oil painting became very popular in western art,
they can be given credit for showing their fellow artists the wonderful capabilities of oil
painting, making it the dominant medium in Western painting since that time (Lewis and Lewis
88). Oil paint allows the artist to include more details than other forms of painting (Lewis and
Lewis 88). Because the paint is made from mixing pigments with oil, the oil can be layered on
top of layers so the artist can change the work and add depth. (Lewis and Lewis 88). These
strategies and techniques were unique to oil paint. Artists could also mix colors on the canvas
due to the slower drying times.
The history of this type of paint has been around Oil paint, started as early as the
thirteenth century, made a huge impact on the entire art community, perhaps it is the medium of
oil that has created the most significant impact on the development of painting as visual art
form (Oil Paint). This revolutionary type of paint became so popular because of its lasting color
and extensive techniques (Oil Paint). The use of oil paint has changed over time and has been
adaptable to the artists desires (Oil Paint). One thing that found particularly fascinating was that
oil can be easily removed from the canvas, oil allows the artist to revise a work (Oil Paint). I
think van Gough used oil paint so he could create the layers in the sky and make the colors look
like they are blending into one another. Whether or not these details went into van Goughs

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decision to use oil paint, it plays into the role of Art History, where context is important for
understanding of any work.
To understand the details of Starry Night looking to the context of the time period can
help give a broader lens to view the art through. According to the textbook by Lewis and Lewis,
Van Gogh can be considered the father of expressionism (387), and would begin this new
movement in Western Art. Expressionism can be defined as lyrical images of nature (Vogt and
Heinze-Greenberg). This movement was not meant to be a new style in art, but just a
manifestation of the artists ideologies although formed by a sense of spiritual unity, although
with no theoretically defined goal (Vogt and Heinze-Greenberg). This period of art is very
related to romanticism, but a in a more personalized and intellectual way. The expressive
strength of the symbolic colours and lines developed traditional motifs into images of the artists
psychological world (Vogt and Heinze-Greenberg). In order to understand how van Gough
started this movement, which Starry Night is apart of, it is important to look at the live of van
Gough himself.
Vincent van Gough was a Dutch born in 1853 painter who was the poster child for the
misunderstood, tormented artist, who sold only one work in his lifetime (Uitert). Most people
are familiar with how he cut off his ear, but what else happened in his life? The son of a
Reverend, he studied art in London, then eventually moved to Paris (Uitert). He was not thought
to be a great painter, not even a mediocre artist because his religious fervour, which he extended
to his appreciation of art, conflicted with the commercial interests of the art dealership, and in
1876 he was fired (Uitert). After more study he would become a master of line (Lewis and
Lewis 387) as well as the other elements of art. All seemed well for van Gough, for now at least.

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Later in van Goghs life his infamous ear cutting off comes into play. After getting into
many arguments with his art teacher and landlord, he would paint many famous paintings, as
well as get drunk (Lewis and Lewis 390). So one night van Gogh, a little mad perhaps-went into
a local house of prostitution and handed his favorite girl a box. Attached to it was a note: keep
this object carefully. Inside was part of his ear (Lewis and Lewis 300). With mental illness
alive and well within him we finally get to our painting, Starry Night.
This work was painted in 1889, summer at Saint-Rmy where he had put himself into a
mental institution. He had tired this same concept in the past, the night sky painting, but kept
trying for a new one (Uitert). In some interpretations the swirling stars of the sky have
sometimes been interpreted as an image of the artists equally tormented soul (Uitert). When I
first saw this work, I thought it was of a peaceful sky, but the context shows that van Gogh did
not have a peaceful life. Although he did not leave a description of this work, with the help of
history the art can come alive in new ways.
This masterwork is really fitting of the name. Vincent van Gogh, a master of line,
balance, and all the element of art and design, as well a fantastic painter and use of oil paint.
Looking deeper into the history of his life and the time period of art, the tormented life of van
Gogh comes across in the violently swirling winds. But with van Goghs spiritual background
the paintings bright and hopeful moon give the painting an optimistic outlook. From this
experience I have learned how important the history and context of a work of art can show how
unique or important an artist can be. Although van Gogh never knew the impact his art had on
society, looking through our eyes we can learn about the art around us.

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Works Cited
Lewis, Richard, and Susan Lewis. The Power of Art. 3rd ed. Boston: Clark Baxter, 2014. 96-111.
Print.
Oil Paint: The History and Development of a Medium. ArtHistory.net. n.p. 2013-2014. Web.
20 July 2015.
Uitert, Evert van. "Gogh, Vincent van." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University
Press.Web. 30 Jul. 2015.
"Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night, oil on canvas, 736921 mm, 1889 (New York, Museum of
Modern Art); photo The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by Scala/Art Resource,
NY." Grove Art Online.Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 29 Jul. 2015.
Vogt, Paul and Ita Heinze-Greenberg. "Expressionism." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art
Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 30 Jul. 2015.