The Starry Night, Van Gogh
- Oil on linen canvas
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- Painting reproduction
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| Author: | Vincent van Gogh |
|---|---|
| Original Title: | La Nuit étoilée |
| Type: | Painting |
| Style: | Post-Impressionism |
| Medium | Oil |
| Support: | Canvas |
| Year: | 1889 |
| Genre: | Landscape |
| Subject: | Life in the suburbs |
| Located: | MoMA museum, New York. |
Origin of the Painting.
Painted in 1889, the piece portrays the nighttime views Van Gogh had from his room at the mental asylum in Saint-Rémy, where he spent the last years of his life. In the background, the village—calm and painted in somber tones—contrasts with the energetic composition of the sky, where voluptuous textures and spiral strokes convey vibrancy and movement. It is said that Van Gogh expressed that the focus of the painting lies in the sky, not on the earth.
Starry Night in Vincent’s Letters
As the artist mentioned in one of his letters to his brother Theo, this was the view of the village he observed at dawn from his window. The large white-illuminated star, which the artist refers to in his letter as “the morning star,” is actually the planet Venus, according to experts.
He also mentions his intense desire to paint the night sky in a letter addressed to Émile Bernard (also a Post-Impressionist painter of the time): “When will I ever manage to paint the starry sky, that painting that’s always in my mind?” he wrote in June 1888.
Van Gogh’s Influence on Art
Not only is it one of the most reproduced and reinterpreted paintings in history—it has gone far beyond, inspiring visual artists and creators from other disciplines. One of the most famous is Don McLean, who, after reading about Van Gogh’s life, was inspired by the painting to write his most well-known song: “Vincent.” A declared admirer of the painter’s work and life, McLean wrote emotional words:
“And when no hope was left in a starry night, you took your life as lovers often do, but I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.”
Today, the painting is on permanent display at MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
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Why is this painting famous?
The fame of The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh grew due to its extreme reproducibility (covers, posters, mugs, apps), the biographical story surrounding Van Gogh (mental health, letters, short life), its prominent presence at MoMA, and its constant virality on social media. It has even been the subject of scientific studies on turbulence and countless educational videos — all of which keep it as the “emotional” image of modern art for the general public.Discover more famous paintings