The Starry Night

Introduction

The swirls in the sky may represent the fact that things will eventually soften and fall into place. On the other hand, when looking at the painting one see a much different message. All of the lines in his painting are perfectly straight and within their directional group, are all the same distances apart. It seems that because there are different directions going within the painting it shows a slight form of chaos, but the straightness of the lines it shows that someone is trying to maintain order. Van Gogh evidently found nature to be as compelling and formidable as God himself. “The Starry Night” emphasizes this. According to Sayre, Van Gogh was mentally tormented and this is evident by the use of the artist's technique in his painting. The lines are harsh and jagged. Those of the church spire, the trees in the forefront, and the eaves of the houses are strong and dark. The swirls in the night sky are as strong, possibly indicative of his views of God's and nature's power. Perhaps Van Gogh's view of the world was simple: he knew that the world was greater than him and therefore uncontrollable.

Discussion

The lines in “The Starry Night” truly demonstrate his lack of control. Still, despite the heaviness of the lines and the swirls, there is a calming effect evident in the painting with Van Gogh's inclusion of church and solitude and serenity of the small village. When Van Gogh determined to become an artisan, no one, not even he himself alleged that he had outstanding creative presents. He progressed amazingly quickly from an inefficient but ardent beginner into a truly unique expert. He gradually demonstrated to have a remarkable feel for strong, enlightening color effects, and an foolproof ability of selecting simple but unforgettable arrangements. At ...