The Starry Night - Essay Example

A Descriptive Paper on “Starry Night” One of the most famous paintings done by one of the greatest artists the European continent has ever produced, Vincent Van Gough, is the painting “Starry Night.” It is well known by many art historians that Van Gough’s painting actually reflected his sad moods, especially in the latter part of his life; in fact, it is in this period where his most innovative and revolutionary artworks were produced. Starry Night is not an exception; he actually painted it “while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889” (Vincent Van Gough Gallery n. p.).

This painting is actually one of the most often reproduced paintings even in modern times (Vincent Van Gough Gallery n. p.). One of the most stunning features of the painting is Van Gough’s unique but innovative use of exaggerations. By looking at Starry Night, there are a lot of elements in the painting that were exaggerations: the strong strokes of those night clouds, the stars having their own exaggerated luminescence, and as well as the exaggerated luminescence of the moon. In addition, the bold strokes used by Van Gough ignites the viewer to follow these strokes, wherein following the strong strokes would lead the viewer to move around the painting, making this work of art truly great.

In fact, the strong emotive feel of the painting, as it can be seen through the strokes and the colors used, reflect the school of impressionism. Another intriguing part of the painting is the dark structure in the left side, wherein it creates a mystic structure within the painting, while blending it with the depiction of the town below. Works Cited Vincent Van Gough Gallery. “Vincent van Gogh: Starry Night. vangoghgallery.com. Vincent Van Gough Gallery, n. d. Web. 7 May 2011.