Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night 1889The painting displays important formal elements. First of all, blue and gold colors compliment each other, enhancing aesthetic appearance. The large dark tree is balanced by the bright moon and light region above the hills. The tree plays a large role in making its specific space more interesting. The swirling sky and stars counterbalance the hills that seem to flow downward and to the left. The white region above the town acts as a strong diagonal axis for the entire piece. The difference in texture and composition between the town and sky sets the town apart, making it peaceful and unmoving. The brush strokes in the rest of the painting consist of short dashed lines that move with and contribute to the swirling sky’s texture.
Van Gogh painted Starry Night while he was in an asylum at Saint-Remy. During earlier years, he struggled to eat and survive as an artist. His works, such as Starry Night, were not traditional and were not commissioned (it is believed he only sold one painting in his lifetime), so he spent the majority of his life in poverty. This leads some to interpret Starry Night not as a peaceful moment, but as a chaotic one. In this view, the sky is churning and waves are rushing in on a helpless town. The church is no longer tall to overlook the town but is now interpreted as puncturing the sky. The large tree is interpreted as a flame.
In this specific case, I think the problem with linking Van Gogh’s history to this painting goes further than Prown’s discussion on the dangers of speculation, in that this separate interpretation's purpose is to satisfy our longing for a twist. We want a surprise, a hidden meaning. While it seems that Van Gogh may have been adding elements to change the whole meaning of the piece and to make his title laughable, it is also very easy to believe the complete opposite. Van Gogh liked stars, and the night; and so do I.
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