The words “starry night” invoke the image of one of Van Gogh’s most well-known paintings – a cypress tree painted against a background of midnight blue pocked by swirling stars grows into the mind. However, this is not the only starry night that Van Gogh created. In 1888, Van Gogh painted Starry Night Over the Rhône.
starry Night Over the Rhône was part of Van Gogh’s study of night paintings, where he obsessed at painting during the night. He described his process and the painting to Theo in a letter:
“…the starry sky at last, actually painted at night, under a gas-lamp. The sky is green-blue, the water is royal blue, the areas of land are mauve. The town is blue and violet. The gaslight is yellow, and its reflections are red gold and go right down to green bronze. Against the green-blue field of the sky the Great Bear has a green and pink sparkle whose discreet paleness contrasts with the harsh gold of the gaslight. Two small coloured figures of lovers in the foreground.”
This piece is wonderful for how it demonstrates Van Gogh’s love of the natural world. Instead of sunlit orchards, we find ourselves gazing at the stars and a city whose lights dance along the river like stars. He found beauty and wonder in mundane views, captured them into magnificent works of art to show us just how amazing our world is.
Vincent van Gogh 