Genre of Van Gogh's painting Starry Night. Painting Starry Night. Vincent Van Gogh

An abyss full of stars has opened.

The stars have no number, the bottom of the abyss.

Lomonosov M.V.

The starry sky as a symbol of infinity attracts and fascinates a person. It is impossible to take your eyes off the picture, which depicts a living sky swirling in a whirlwind of eternal galactic motion. Even those who have little knowledge of art have no doubts about who painted the painting “Starry Night”. The not real, imaginary sky is written with rough, sharp strokes, emphasizing the spiral movement of the stars. Before Van Gogh, no one had seen such a sky. After Van Gogh it is impossible to imagine starry sky to others.

The history of the painting “Starry Night”

One of the most famous paintings Vincent van Gogh painted in the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence asylum in 1889, one year before his death. Mental disorder the artist was accompanied by severe headaches. To somehow distract himself, Van Gogh painted, sometimes several paintings a day. That the hospital staff should allow the unfortunate person and no one at that time unknown artist, work, his brother Theo took care.

The artist painted most of the landscapes of Provence with irises, haystacks and wheat fields from life, looking through the window of the hospital ward into the garden. But “Starry Night” was created from memory, which was completely unusual for Van Gogh. It is possible that at night the artist made sketches and sketches, which he later used in creating the canvas. The drawing from life is complemented by the artist’s imagination, weaving phantoms born in the imagination with fragments of reality.

Description of Van Gogh's painting “Starry Night”

The real view from the east bedroom window is closer to the viewer. Between a vertical line of cypress trees growing on the edge wheat field, and the image of a non-existent village was placed diagonally across the sky.

The space of the picture is divided into two unequal parts. Most of given to heaven, the smaller one to people. The top of the cypress tree is directed upward, towards the stars, looking like tongues of cold greenish-black flame. The spire of the church, rising between squat houses, also reaches towards the sky. The cozy light of the burning windows is a little reminiscent of the glow of the stars, but against their background it seems weak and completely dim.

The life of the breathing sky is much richer and more interesting than human life. Unprecedentedly large stars emit a magical glow. Spiral galactic vortices swirl with merciless swiftness. They draw the viewer in, take him into the depths of space, away from the cozy and sweet little world of people.

The center of the picture is occupied by not one stellar vortex, but two. One is large, the other is smaller, and the larger one seems to be chasing the smaller one... and pulls it into itself, absorbs it without hope of salvation. The canvas evokes in the viewer a feeling of anxiety, excitement, despite the fact that the color scheme includes positive shades of blue, yellow, Green colour. The much more peaceful painting Starry Night Over the Rhone by Vincent Van Gogh uses darker and more somber tones.

Where is The Starry Night stored?

The famous work, written in a mental hospital, is kept in the Museum contemporary art in NYC. The painting belongs to the category of priceless paintings. Price of the original painting " Starlight Night" not determined. It cannot be bought for any money. This fact should not upset true connoisseurs of painting. The original is available to any museum visitor. High-quality reproductions and copies, of course, do not have real energy, but they can convey part of the plan of a brilliant artist.

From the paintings of Vincent van Gogh, it is quite easy to trace the artist’s medical history: from gray subjects tending towards realism to bright, floating motifs, where both hallucination and oriental images that were fashionable at that time were mixed.

"Starry Night" is one of the most recognizable paintings Van Gogh. Night is the time of the artist. When he got drunk, he became rowdy and lost himself in revelry. But he could also go melancholy to the open air. “I still need religion. That’s why I left the house at night and started drawing stars,” Vincent wrote to his brother Theo. What did Van Gogh see in the night sky?

Plot

Night enveloped the imaginary city. In the foreground are cypress trees. These trees, with their gloomy dark green foliage, symbolized sadness and death in the ancient tradition. (It is no coincidence that cypress trees are often planted in cemeteries.) In the Christian tradition, cypress is a symbol eternal life. (This tree grew in the Garden of Eden and, presumably, Noah's Ark was built from it.) In Van Gogh, the cypress plays both roles: the sadness of the artist, who will soon commit suicide, and the eternity of the universe running.

To show movement, to add dynamics to the frozen night, Van Gogh came up with a special technique - when painting the moon, stars, sky, he laid strokes in a circle. This, combined with color transitions, creates the impression that the light is spilling.

Context

Vincent painted the painting in 1889 at the Saint-Paul Mental Hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It was a period of remission, so Van Gogh asked to go to his workshop in Arles. But city residents signed a petition demanding that the artist be expelled from the city. “Dear mayor,” the document says, “we, the undersigned, would like to draw your attention to the fact that this Dutch artist(Vincent Van Gogh) has lost his mind and drinks too much. And when he gets drunk, he molests women and children.” Van Gogh will never return to Arles.

Painting en plein air at night fascinated the artist. The depiction of color was of paramount importance to Vincent: even in letters to his brother Theo, he often described objects using various colors. Less than a year before Starry Night, he wrote Starry Night over the Rhone, in which he experimented with the rendering of the colors of the night sky and artificial lighting, which was a novelty at that time.

The fate of the artist

Van Gogh lived 37 turbulent and tragic years. Growing up as a disliked child, who was perceived as a son who was born instead of his older brother, who died a year before the boy was born, the severity of his father-pastor, poverty - all this affected Van Gogh’s psyche.

Not knowing what to devote himself to, Vincent could not finish his studies anywhere: either he quit, or he was kicked out for his violent antics and sloppy appearance. Painting was an escape from the depression Van Gogh faced after his failures with women and his failed careers as a dealer and missionary.

Van Gogh also refused to study to become an artist, believing that he could master everything on his own. However, it was not so easy - Vincent never learned to draw a person. His paintings attracted attention, but were not in demand.

Prisoners' Walk, 1890

Disappointed and saddened, Vincent left for Arles with the intention of creating the “Workshop of the South” - a kind of brotherhood of like-minded artists working for future generations. It was then that Van Gogh's style took shape, which is known today and was described by the artist himself as follows: “Instead of trying to accurately depict what is in front of my eyes, I use color more arbitrarily, so as to express myself more fully.”

In Arles, the artist lived a voracious life in every sense. He wrote a lot and drank a lot. Drunk brawls were scary local residents, who eventually even asked to expel the artist from the city.

In Arles, the famous incident with Gauguin also occurred, when, after another quarrel, Van Gogh attacked his friend with a razor in his hands, and then, either as a sign of repentance, or in another attack, cut off his earlobe. All the circumstances are still unknown. However, the day after this incident, Vincent was taken to a hospital, and Gauguin left. They never met again.

During the last 2.5 months of his torn life, Van Gogh painted 80 paintings. And the doctor completely believed that everything was fine with Vincent. But one evening he locked himself in his room and did not come out for a long time. Neighbors, who suspected something was wrong, opened the door and found Van Gogh with a bullet through his chest. They failed to help him - the 37-year-old artist died.

"The Starry Night" was painted in 1889 and today is one of Van Gogh's most recognizable paintings. Since 1941, this work art is located in New York, in famous Museum contemporary art. Vincent Van Gogh created this painting in San Remy on a traditional canvas measuring 920x730 mm. "The Starry Night" is written in a rather specific style, so for optimal viewing it is best to view it from afar.

Stylistics

This painting depicts a landscape at night, which has passed through the “filter” of the artist’s own creative vision. The main elements of Starry Night are the stars and the moon. They are the ones that are depicted most clearly and primarily attract attention. In addition, Van Gogh used a special technique to create the moon and stars, making them look more dynamic, as if they were constantly moving, carrying an enchanting light through the boundless starry sky.

In the foreground of "Starry Night" (left) are tall trees (cypress trees) that stretch from the ground to the sky and stars. They seem to want to leave the earth's surface and join the dance of the stars and the moon. On the right, the picture depicts an unremarkable village, which lies at the foot of the hills in the silence of the night, indifferent to the radiance and stormy movement of the stars.

General performance

In general, when considering this painting, one can feel the artist’s masterly work with color. At the same time, the expressive distortion is quite well selected using a unique technique of brushstrokes and color combinations. There is also a balance of light and dark tones on the canvas: on the lower left, dark trees compensate for the high brightness of the yellow moon, which is located in the opposite corner. The main dynamic element of the painting is a spiral curl almost in the middle of the canvas. It gives dynamics to each element of the composition; it is also worth noting that the stars and the moon seem more mobile than the rest.

“Starry Night” also has an amazing depth of displayed space, which is achieved through the clever use of strokes of different sizes and directions, as well as the overall color combination paintings. Another factor that helps create depth in a painting is the use of objects of different sizes. So, the town is located in the distance and in the picture it is small, but the trees, on the contrary, are small compared to the village, but they are located close and therefore they take up quite a lot of space in the picture. A dark foreground and a light moon in the background is a tool for creating depth with color.

The painting largely belongs to the pictorial style rather than the linear one. This is due to the fact that all elements of the canvas are created using strokes and color. Although when creating the village and hills, Van Gogh used contour lines. Apparently, such linear elements were used to better emphasize the difference between objects of earthly and heavenly origin. Thus, Van Gogh’s image of the sky turned out to be extremely picturesque and dynamic, while the village and hills turned out to be calmer, linear and measured.

In “Starry Night,” colorism predominates, while the role of light is not so noticeable. The main sources of illumination are the stars and the moon; this can be determined by the reflections that are located on the buildings of the town and the trees at the foot of the hills.

History of writing

The painting “Starry Night” was painted by Van Gogh during his treatment in a hospital in Saint-Rémy. At the request of his brother, Van Gogh was allowed to paint if his health improved. Such periods occurred quite often, and during this time the artist wrote whole line paintings "Starry Night" is one of them, and it is interesting that this picture was created from memory. This method was used by Van Gogh quite rarely and is not typical to this artist. If we compare "Starry Night" with early works artist, we can say that it is a more expressive and dynamic creation of Van Gogh. However, after painting it, the color, emotional intensity, dynamics and expression on the artist’s canvases only increased.

Distant, cold and beautiful stars have always attracted man. They showed the way in the ocean or desert, foreshadowed the fate of individuals and entire states, and helped to comprehend the laws of the universe. And the night luminaries have long inspired poets, writers and artists. And Van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night” is one of the most controversial, mysterious and fascinating works that glorify their magnificence. How this painting was created, what events in the life of the painter influenced its painting and how the work is being reinterpreted in modern art - you can learn about all this from our article.

Original painting Starry Night. Vincent van Gogh 1889

Artist's story

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in the south of Holland in the family of a Protestant pastor. Relatives described the boy as a capricious, boring child with strange manners. However, outside the house he more often behaved thoughtfully and seriously, but in games he showed good nature, courtesy and compassion.

In 1864, Vincent was sent to boarding school, where he studied languages ​​and drawing. However, already in 1868 he left his studies, returning to parents' house. Since 1869, the young man worked as a dealer in a large trade and art company owned by his uncle. There, the future painter began to take a serious interest in art, often visiting the Louvre, the Luxembourg Museum, exhibitions and galleries. But due to disappointment in love, he lost the desire to work, instead deciding to become a priest, like his father. So, in 1878 van Gogh studied educational activities in a mining village in southern Belgium, mentoring parishioners and teaching children.

However, the only one real passion Vincent always remained painting. He argued that creativity is The best way for the relief of human suffering, which even religion cannot surpass. But such a choice was not easy for the artist - he was removed from his post as a preacher, he fell into depression and even spent some time in a psychiatric hospital. Besides, the master suffered from obscurity and material deprivation - there were almost no people willing to buy Van Gogh’s painting.

However, it was this period that would later be called the heyday of Vincent van Gogh’s work. He worked hard in less than a year he created more than 150 canvases, about 120 drawings and watercolors, and many sketches. But even among this rich heritage, the work “Starry Night” stands out for its originality and expressiveness.

Features of van Gogh's painting "Starry Night" - what was the master's plan?

She is first mentioned in correspondence between Vincent and his brother. The artist says that the desire to depict stars shining in the sky is dictated by a lack of faith. Subsequently, he also said that the night luminaries always helped him dream.

Van Gogh had a similar idea a long time ago. Thus, the canvas he painted in Arles (a small town in the south-east of France) has a similar plot - “Starry Night over the Rhone”, but the painter himself spoke disapprovingly of it. He claimed that he was unable to convey the fabulousness, unreality and phantasmagoric nature of the world.

The painting “Starry Night” became a kind of psychological therapy for van Gogh, which helped to overcome depression, disappointment and melancholy. Hence the emotionality of the work, its bright colors, and the use of impressionistic techniques.

But does the canvas have real prototype? It is known that the master painted it while in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. However, art historians admit that the arrangement of houses and trees does not correspond to the real architecture of the village. The constellations shown are just as mysterious. And in the panorama that opens before the viewer one can see the typical features of both northern and southern French regions.

Therefore, it is worth recognizing that Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is a very symbolic work. It cannot be interpreted literally - you can only reverently admire the picture, trying to comprehend its hidden meanings.

Reproductions of Vincent van Gogh in the interior

Symbols and interpretations - what is encrypted in the image « Starlight Night » ?

First of all, critics are trying to understand what the number of night luminaries means. They are identified both with the Star of Bethlehem, which marked the birth of the Messiah, and with chapter 37 from the Book of Genesis, which talks about Joseph’s dreams: “I also saw a dream: behold, the Sun and the Moon and eleven stars worship me.”

Both the stars and the crescent are surrounded by the brightest shining halos. This cosmic light illuminates the restless night sky in which the amazing spirals. They are said to depict the Fibonacci sequence - a special harmonious combination of numbers found both in human creations and in living nature. For example, the location of scales on fir cone and sunflower seeds obeys precisely this pattern. It can also be seen in the work of van Gogh.

The silhouettes of cypress trees, reminiscent of a candle flame, perfectly balance the bottomless sky and the peacefully sleeping earth. They act as intermediaries between the unstoppable movement of mysterious cosmic luminaries creating new worlds, and a simple, ordinary provincial town.

Perhaps it was precisely thanks to this ambiguity that the work of the great painter became famous throughout the world. Historians and critics are discussing it, and art historians are examining the canvas, stored at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

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There is no artist in the world who is not attracted by the starry sky. The author has repeatedly turned to this romantic and mysterious object. The master was cramped within real world

. He considered that it was his imagination, the play of his imagination, that was necessary for a more complete image. It is known that by the time the painting was created, the author was undergoing another course of treatment; he was allowed to work only if his condition improved. The artist was deprived of the opportunity to create on location. He created many works during this period (including Starry Night) from memory.

Powerful, expressive strokes, thick colors, complex composition - everything in this picture is designed to be perceived from a great distance.

The light in the work comes precisely from the stars and the moon, but its direction is indirect. Glare illuminating night city, look random, broken off from the general powerful vortex reigning over the world.

Between heaven and earth, connecting them, the cypress grows, eternal, undying. The tree is important for the author; it is the only one capable of transmitting all the heavenly energy to those living on earth. The cypress trees strive for the sky, their aspiration is so strong that it seems that in another second the trees will part with the earth for the sake of the sky. The centuries-old branches directed upward look like tongues of green flame.

A combination of rich blue and yellow flowers, a famous heraldic combination, creates special atmosphere, fascinates and attracts attention to the work.

The artist repeatedly turned to the night sky. IN famous work“Sky over the Rhone” the master does not yet take such a radical and expressive approach to depicting the sky.

The symbolic meaning of the painting is interpreted differently by many. Some are inclined to see in the picture a direct quote from the Old Testament or Revelation. Some consider the painting’s excessive expressiveness to be the result of the master’s illness. Everyone agrees on one thing - towards the end of his life, the master only increases the internal tension of his works. The world is distorted in the artist’s perception, it ceases to be the same, new forms, lines and new emotions, stronger and more accurate, are discovered in it. The master draws the viewer's attention to those fantasies that make the world more bright and non-standard.

Today this particular work has become one of Van Gogh's most recognizable works. The painting is in an American museum, but the painting comes to Europe regularly and is exhibited in largest museums Old World.