Starry Night Vincent Van Gogh Analysis

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Humans have different ways of expressing their emotions. One way of expressing emotion is through art. Art, itself, is very difficult to define. Loosely defined, it is the creative expression and application of humans’ creativity and skill. There is a wide and diverse range of art forms which include painting, song writing, dancing, and sculpting. In this paper, I will analyze one of Vincent van Gogh’s most prominent paintings, Starry Night. The well-known painting will be analyzed based on the visual elements and principles of design which can be seen from the painting. The cultural practices and personal experiences which may have influenced the artist in making the painting will also be explored and discussed in this paper. Vincent van Gogh is one of the most influential painters of the 19th century and is one of the most famous painters today. When he was alive, he was much less celebrated and sold only a single painting. He created Starry Night in 1889 while he was confined in an asylum in Saint Remy. He voluntarily admitted himself to the asylum because of his depression and mental breakdowns. Thirteen months after he completed Starry Night, van Gogh died of a gunshot wound [1]. The first thing that I noticed about the painting, The Starry Night, is the artist’s dominant use of the colors blue and yellow. The night sky is depicted in different shades of blue and dark green. The dark blue sky is reflected in the mountains and in the village. Hints of light blue and