The Starry Night: An Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh's Masterpiece
The starry night is a well-known oil painting by Vincent Van Gogh that was completed in 1889 and is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This work of art not only portrays high quality work, but it also demonstrates the artist's mental turmoil. Van Gogh purposefully exaggerated the stylization inspired by thick brush strokes, and as a result, he freely expresses various emotions in this shot (Artble, 2017).
Focusing on the Starry Night Image
This essay focuses on the starry night image and identifies individual elements within the image. It also analyzes the effects of the extraction of meaningful elements in the image thus showing how imagery is used in media.
The Meaning of the Image as a Whole
The meaning of the whole image lies behind Van Gogh’s extended contemplation of the night sky. In one of the letters to his sisters, he stated that he had observed the sky before sunrise and saw a brightly shining morning star and the countryside through his window (Maurer, 1998). The impressionist artist depicts a night sky that is brimming with colors of the whirling clouds, eleven stars and the crescent moon. By the use of swirls and curves, the thick brush strokes bring out the view of a rare night (Maurer, 1998).
Identifying Several of the Individual Elements within the Image
The first thing anyone notices when studying the image is the overwhelming sky because it covers the whole background. The center of attention in the image is the spiral and wavy formation that creates a sense of the gentle motion of the night sky. The fiery moon and the stars are likened to fireballs, and their sharp, outstanding yellow color contrasts with the blue grey background (Artble, 2017). Tiny houses and a church are also visible, but they seem silent with the little light illuminating thus evidencing that all the light emanates from the night sky because everyone is probably asleep. In the foreground, the whole view of the village is partially obstructed by a cypress bush.
The Removal of One Element
In the essay, the first element I will remove from the image is the presence of the moon and stars in the sky. The removal of the constellation interferes with the whole setting of the image because the skyline holds the intensity of Gogh’s work (Maurer, 1998). The moon and stars are so overwhelmingly big to the extent that we feel as if the universe is about to collapse on the small village. Without the constellation, the image no longer seems to be bursting with life. The spiral nature of the stars depicts constant motion in the galaxies, and the removal of these would render the image motionless and empty (Artble, 2017). Failure to include the constellation in this image would simply take away the dynamism of the night sky that contrasts the silence of the whole image.
Removal of the Second Element
The second element I removed from the image is the cypress bush. Having been placed in the foreground, the cypress bush counters the dazzling effect of the bursting night sky. It's curvy nature is in rhythm with the swirling sky. The artist deliberately placed it on the left side of the canvas to disturb the equilibrium of the image. In such a prominent place, the cypress bush is uncharacteristic and out of line with the rest of the image thus brings out emotions of anguish and turmoil (Maurer, 1998). Removing this element from the image takes away the anguish, turmoil, sadness and mourning. It robs the artist a chance to show how his sadness was taking away his intensity for life. Without the cypress, the foreground of the image is no longer eye-catching and thus makes the whole image lose its ambiguity (Artble, 2017). Without the looming dark bush heavily dominating such a beautiful background, the image would simply tell a tale of life and happiness.
What Does This Exercise Show You Regarding How Imagery Can Be Used in Media?
Human beings are visual, and this is best described by the saying a picture is worth a thousand words. The exercise of removing certain elements from the image is proof that artists can give a story simply by adding various elements to their work. Through a simple piece, an artist can set the mood and determine the intensity of the emotions that viewers will feel upon viewing it (Maurer, 1998). An artist can choose which points in his life to make vivid and choose to over other elements a smaller meaning. Overall, imagery is the gift artists were given to enable them to express themselves in the world.
References
Artble. (2017, July 19). Starry Night Analysis. Retrieved August 16, 2017, from https://www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh/paintings/starry_night/more_information/analysis
Maurer, N. E., Gogh, V. ., & Gauguin, P. (1998). The pursuit of spiritual wisdom: The thought and art of Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Madison, N.J: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
