The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh was painted in 1889, just a year before he died. Despite the oils in the painting possessing interpretations that can be termed to as mixed, there is one evident theme that Van Gogh brings out in this painting in relation to his vastness in communication. As noted by Thomson (24), Van Gogh had been in serious argument with his friend din the previous year before he painted the picture. Being very desperate, Van Gogh cut off the friend’s ear. This horrible act was followed by depression which led to Van Gogh being sent to a psychiatric. It is in this hospital that he painted the Starry Night. There is a small town that the painting depicts that is verified from the Van Gogh’s hospital window in saint- Remy that is juxtaposed with bright stars against a vast and blue night sky.
The numerous interpretations that can be attached to the Starry Night may have been influenced by poetry, astronomy, religious conflicts and depression all of which are considered to have conveyed and played a pert in Van Gogh coming up with this unique reality view. It is with this perspective that I tend to believe that the painting Starry Night is a representation of a man who is eager to present all the drama and unfolding of the world and their integration with nature. At a single glance of the starry night, we perceive a night sky that is full of vibrant stars and a moon that is very radiant.
In addition to this, the clouds that seem like they are swirling indicates a person who had difficulties with clear vision. This is considered true because Van Gogh was a constant user of absinthe which is a mixture of liqueur and toxic herbs. A town is on the bottom of the painting that is asleep for the night and I am given an impression that the town embraces spirituality due to the presence of the church that has a steeple tower. The Starry Night is considered as a reflection of a torturous and turbulent melancholy and manic ecstasy combination that are trying to control the painter’s mind (Van Gogh 13). The title itself can be considered as an oxymoron due to the astray figures that have been employed and overstated highly to an extend of bringing daylight to the painting.
According to Thomson (32), it is asserted that Van Gogh wanted to depict a specific time of the day, a time when cicadas and green beetles fly up due to the heat; this is irrespective of the painting portraying a night view from his hospital window. Similarly, the use of yellow and greens in the painting to represent the moon and the stars, and color blue for the night sky can be considered perfect examples of how Van Gogh employs the usage of colors. It is an indication of how vibrant and cognizant the painter is about his unique color style which he freely used to express himself instead of merely reflecting it (Van Gogh 24).
Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night brings to our attention issues on death, reality and religion. From this, it is without doubt that his work is clear presentation of a post impressionist masterpiece. Van ignores issues on perfection and instead he decides to distort and exaggerate the interpretation of the surrounding environment and in this he redefines what art is without knowing.
By incorporating death issues, Van Gogh uses a cypress tree that is portrayed to stretch its finger towards the sky hoping to touch the light that is being emitted by the stars (Thomson 12). On the other hand, the church is employed as an inspiration to wards the people aiming that the people will retract from their evil ways and aim for the good to reach the stars in the sky. The starry night represents the mind of an individual who se mind is unstable and which set the pace for post impressionism that followed suite.