The Starry Night, Van Gogh

Origin of the Painting.

Painted in 1889, the work depicts the nocturnal views Van Gogh had from his room in the mental asylum of Saint-Rémy, where he spent the last years of his life. In the background lies the village, whose tranquility and somber colors contrast with the energetic composition of the sky, where its voluptuous textures and spiral strokes convey vitality and dynamism. It is said that Van Gogh expressed through this that the work is centered on the sky rather than the earth.

The 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 contemplated at dawn from his window. The large star illuminated in white, which the artist describes in his letter as “the morning star,” is in fact the planet Venus according to experts.

He also mentions his great desire to paint the 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 is 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 much further, inspiring visual artists and creators from other disciplines. One of the most famous is Don McLean, who, after reading Van Gogh’s life, was inspired by the painting to write his most famous song: “Vincent.” McLean, a declared admirer of the work and life of the painter, wrote moving 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.”

Currently, the work is part of the permanent exhibition at the MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art in New York.