Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night at St. Rémy
Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night at St. Rémy of June 1889, expresses
the comforting power and spirituality of the infinite night sky over
the humbler, earthly brand of nature through a synthesis of
exceptional visual power, elements of religious allegory, and of
modern spiritualism. This work is the product of van Gogh's refusal to
depict the purely imaginary, but willful manipulation of what is real
in order to achieve a more powerful work, both visually and through
symbolism and allegory. Starry Night is more powerful than van Gogh's
literal Agony of Christ would have been because, in separating itself
from imagery that is strictly religious in its connotations, he was
able to saturate the work with cultural and literary meanings that
could appeal to a society no longer confined to the rhetoric of
organized religion. Moreover, the work is so visually effective in its
depiction of a reassuring yet euphoric mood that it need not rely on
subject matter for audience response. Starry Night is the product of a
long and intensive thought process, and is a carefully constructed
synthesis of culture, religion, science, aesthetics, and compositional
elements.
What does van Gogh attempt to define in his painting, Starry Night at
St. Rémy – through my interpretation it reveals a complex view of real
world essentials, manipulated to communicate a sense of calm within
the universe. In doing so, van Gogh drew upon cultural, and biblical
sources to enable himself to present a scene that is composed of facts
synthesized and altered to enhance mood and meaning.
Starry Night at St. Rémy is an oil-on-canvas, (29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x
92.1 cm)) depiction of an unusual, chaotic, star-studded night sky
above a hilly landscape upon which stand the bony architectural forms
of a small town. In the left foreground, pressed close to the picture
plane, is a dark, flame-like cypress that twists upwards into the sky,
dividing the heavens. Below and to the right, a spindly church tower
just barely pierces the horizon like a tiny needle, dwarfed by the
vastness of the rolling sky. Van Gogh paints the tree and the sky with
overlapping, rapid, and curving strokes that create a great sense of
vibrant, swirling motion. The hills and olive trees that line the town
he executes with a similar but more restrained, t...
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...ing is that we cannot get to a star while we are alive, any
more than we can take the train when we are dead.
So to me it seems possible that cholera, gravel, tuberculosis and
cancer are the celestial means of locomotion, just as steamboats,
buses and railways are the terrestrial means. To die quietly of old
age would be to go there on foot (Van Gogh, 605).
It is van Gogh’s unselfishness toward his art that has allowed me to
honor Starry Night at St. Rémy. Through his unrelenting
determination, van Gogh was able to capture one night in a history of
millions and have it live for eternity.
Current Location: The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest.
Works Cited
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Van Gogh, Vincent. The Complete Letters of Vincent van Gogh, vol 3, 3
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Zurcher, Bernard. Vincent Van Gogh - Art Life and Letters. Thunder Bay
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“This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big,” wrote van Gogh to his brother Theo. This letter was used when he was describing his inspiration for one of his best-known paintings, The Starry Night which was created in 1889. The window that he refers to was in the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy, in southern France, where he tried to relax away from his emotional suffering while he kept making art.
Vincent Van Gogh is celebrated today as the greatest Dutch painter, besides Rembrandt (“Vincent Willem”). Born in Holland on March 30, 1853, Van Gogh had five other siblings and two parents, and although his mother was an artist, he never bothered with art until much later in his life (“Vincent Willem”). Van Gogh had many shortcomings in his little and dismal time on earth and it was not until his late twenties, after all else had failed, that he gave art a chance. Thanks to the help of his older brother Theo, Van Gogh was able to put all of his emotions and mental worries into productive use, creating masterpieces that are sold today for millions of dollars (“Vincent Willem”). Although he is hugely successful today, Van Gogh had little to no fame in his lifetime and he struggled immensely with his mental state of mind for many years. Ultimately his mental illness (some believe there were more than one) lead to his untimely death, but his turbulent state of mind also helped him to create magnificent images that are revered as some of the greatest pieces of art of today.
On September 11, 2001, a terrible disaster struck the United States. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, New York. The only time US soil had been attacked since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The attacks occurred not only at the World Trade Center’s twin towers, but also at the Pentagon and what would have been the White House. The attack on September 11th was one of the most devastating events this country has ever experienced.
Every day millions of people put their trust in those around them. When the passengers boarded the flights on September 11th, 2001, they put their trust in the planes, the pilots, and the other passengers. On this devastating day about 3,000 people lost their lives. One of America’s only terrorist attacks on US soil, the attacks on 9/11 affected the United States by killing many people in Manhattan and Washington D.C., sending its economy into deficit, and sparking a war in Afghanistan.
September 11, 2001 marked one of the most tragic events in United States history. As a way to assure the safety and wellbeing of U.S. citizens shortly after being attacked by al-Qaeda, President Bush stated, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts may shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve”. Although President Bush was seen a source of security during a time of need, many citizens felt that his words were not genuine and part of a dramatic story the government wanted its people to believe. Despite the side taken, both perspectives of the argument can agree that the U.S. was attacked by a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth into a field in rural Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the terrorist to try and regain control of the plane. This is the story the government wants its people to believe. However, the truths about the attacks on 9/11 are much more frightening. On September 11th, 2001, the United States government betrayed its citizens by allowing the destructive attacks on the Twin Towers, WTC-7, the Pentagon, and Shanksville.
Faggin, Giorgio T and Hughes, Robert. The Complete Paintings of the Van Eycks. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1976. Print.
Howe, Tom. "George Orwell." British Writers Volume VII. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Scribner, 1984. 273-287.
Ella Hendriks, Leo Jansen, Johanna Salvant, Élisabeth Ravaud, Myriam Eveno, Michel Menu, Inge Fiedler, Muriel Geldof, Luc Megens, Maarten van Bommel, C. Richard Johnson Jr, Don. H. Johnson. "A comparative study of Vincent van Gogh’s Bedroom series." .
George Orwell is considered to be one of the most creative and expressive political writers of the twentieth century, particularly for his views opposing communism and totalitarian regimes famously expressed in his novel, 1984. Orwell perceived communism as, “A new, dangerous form of totalitarianism, a powerful tool for controlling the masses.” Orwell’s hatred towards communism began with communist leader, Joseph Stalin whom he referred to as, “a bloody-minded master” (Rossi 1). Orwell’s views solidified during his participation in the Spanish Civil War; throughout his experience, Orwell was subject to communist propaganda, which led to his distrust of authority and established hatred of fascist and communist governments (Rossi 2). Orwell’s views, along with his participation ...
Vincent Van Gogh never gave up his style and insight in his early work compared to his later work. I will discuss the comparison of the Potato Eaters and Starry Night and even though there are obvious differences, the core of his passion and eccentricities can be seen.
One of George Orwell’s most significant goals as a writer was to receive recognition for his works. Orwell achieved his aim by projecting his political perspectives into fictional works such as 1984 and Animal Farm. His position against totalitarianism is strongly evident throughout his novels and even today Orwell’s works still seem relevant because of the fear of totalitarian governments perpetuated by the media and the recent democratic uprisings in the Middle East against dictatorial regimes. In this essay, I argue that Orwell’s reasons for writing, as he outlines them in his essay “Why I Write,” is to seek literary fame and he found that through incorporating political commentary into his writing; in doing so, Orwell successfully turns his political thoughts into a form of art. Using 1984 and D. J. Taylor’s article “Left, Right, Left, Right,” I will also discuss briefly how Orwell’s novels can apply to contemporary political situations.
Although the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11th were tragic and will never be forgotten, they did make America a safer place. The polices that were enacted after the attacks improved the security of America by initiating better security at airports and better surveillance to prevent any future attacks. However many Americans do not approve of the policies saying they are an invasion of privacy and that it makes air travel difficult. These may seem strict rules but if we are to keep America safe we require them. The attacks may have been a serious blow to America, but in the end America came out a stronger, better equipped country. With the completion of One World Trade Center come close, it just goes to show how much stronger the attacks on September 11, 2001 made America.
“As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed,” Vincent Van Gogh quoted. Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Vincent Van Gogh, and I all have something in common. Apart from being passionate about a subject, we have all failed at some point. Yet, this does not stop us from trying again. JK Rowling was rejected fifteen times before her book was published. Each time Rowling failed she revised her work and published it again. Einstein also failed various times when he tried to come up with theories. Van Gogh only had one ear and people did not take notice of him because he was mentally ill and isolated. Van Gogh then became famous after he died at age thirty-seven.
This report is mainly based on the case study Emerging Nokia, using the frameworks and concepts we have learned to analyze the case. This report is divided into 5 parts, first is the summary of the case, the second part is about the competition Nokia faced, the third part is the factors that contributed to the success of Nokia, then the challenges Nokia may face in China and the recommendations to them and the last part is the conclusion of the report.
In this essay will be talking about and comparing between the traditional painting Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh and the digital movie poster for Midnight in Paris designed by the company Cardinal Communications USA. Starry Night is an artwork that was painted in 1889 in an asylum at Saint-Remy-de-Provience, France while the Midnight in Paris poster is digitally made somewhere in the USA by someone in that company sometime in 2010. While both these artworks are very different, they have some similarities.