Vincent Van Gogh
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Vincent Van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a very disturbed but successful Dutch artist. He perceived the world in a different way, motivating him to become interested in painting everything he saw. He produced 900 paintings and 1100 drawings for only 10 years before he got diagnosed with a mental illness and committed suicide. After his death, his paintings were recognized and his fame grew rapidly. In every one of Van Goghs paintings, there is an impact on expressionism, fauvism, and abstraction that people admired. There is a museum in Amsterdam dedicated to Van Goghs hard work and is appreciated and visited by many. Two well-known paintings of his are “A Starry Night” and “CafĂ© Terrace at Night”. These two paintings are my favorites and have many differences and similarities.
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most artistic paintings of all time. This painting has amazing features that are responsible for its popularity. It was made with oil on canvas and is about 73.7 cm Ă— 92.1 cm (29 in Ă— 36ÂĽ in). The main aspect that people notice when seeing this painting is the night sky. The night sky is crammed with swirling clouds and bright yellow stars along with a crescent moon. There also seems to be mountains in the back of the painting after the small town. Below the eventful characteristic of the stars and clouds, there is a small town on top of the hills. In the center of the town, there is a small church higher than the other small buildings. It looks like a small cramped town that seems to be viewed in the eyes of someone looking out the window. To the left of the painting, there is a big dark figure that looks like a plant. Compared to the other structures in this painting, the big plant like figure is outstanding.
Van Gogh made his painting look like theres much depth by the way he did his curving lines in the sky. He also made things look far away by making the mountains in the back small and the plant towards the front big. Everything was big in the front of the painting because the person that was viewing it was close to it. That is how someone can depict that the painting was structured to make it look like the person is looking from a certain angle. The analysis of this painting is full of variety that leaves people with different viewpoints. I noticed that the features in this painting are quite exaggerated but this makes most people feel at ease and sometimes brings back childhood memories. The dark starry night can make someone feel that thats how they viewed the night time to be in their younger years.
“Starry Night” was painted in an Asylum in Saint Remy in 1889. Van Gogh painted this view from outside his window in a sanitarium room at night. People believed that the religious part of him reflected it in the eleven stars due to the Genesis 37:9 “And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.” Van Gogh only sold this one painting in his life but it became more than famous. Don Mclean made a song called “Starry, Starry Night” based on the painting and numerous products were made due to its popularity. “Starry Night” is one of the most artistic paintings that can never be forgotten. It has a variety of features that leaves a person feeling amazed.
In addition, Van Gogh also made another delightful painting called “CafĂ© Terrace at Night” also called “The CafĂ© Terrace on the Place Du Forum”. This is another artistic and popular painting of all time made in September of 1888. This painting is an image of the outside of a cafĂ© which still stands in Arles, France. The CafĂ© Terrace at Night was later named after Van Gogh called the “Van Gogh CafĂ©”. It was also made with oil on canvas and is 81 x 65.5cm – 31 x 26 Inches. Vincent Van Gogh painted several night paintings because of his fascination of the stars and how its luminosity lit up the night sky. As soon as he saw this beautiful scene, he immediately started painting. In this painting, it is a starry and enchanted evening in the city. People are sitting on white tables, enjoying their food and drinks on the side street and other people are walking through the cobblestone streets. A bright yellow lantern lights up the night scene at the cafĂ©.
Van Goghs choices of colors are much contrasted and the darker tone complements the lighter tones. Again, the night sky shows the glowing stars in Van Goghs perception and is overly exaggerated. The walls of the surrounding buildings are dark blue with bright yellow lights inside the windows showing much saturation. The blues are in complete contrast with the yellows. A part of a tree is at the beginning of the painting showing its green nature. It also makes the painting look warm and inviting. “CafĂ©