Jump to content

Starry Night Over the Rhône: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →top: Downcasing
Link update
 
(45 intermediate revisions by 23 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh}}
{{Short description|1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh}}
{{Other uses|Starry Night (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the 1888 Van Gogh painting|the 1889 Van Gogh painting on the same theme|The Starry Night|other uses|Starry Night (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox artwork
{{Infobox artwork
| image_file=Starry Night Over the Rhone.jpg
| image_file=Vincent van Gogh - Starry Night - Google Art Project.jpg
| title=Starry Night <ref name="auto">{{cite web | title=Musée d'Orsay: Vincent van Gogh Starry Night | website=Musée d'Orsay | date=2007-07-31 | url=https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire_id/starry-night-7190.html | access-date=2020-09-21}}</ref>
| title=Starry Night Over the Rhône <ref name="auto">{{cite web | title=Musée d'Orsay: Vincent van Gogh Starry Night | website=Musée d'Orsay | date=2007-07-31 | url=https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire_id/starry-night-7190.html | access-date=2020-09-21 | archive-date=2021-03-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328234511/https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/search/commentaire_id/starry-night-7190.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| painting_alignment =
| painting_alignment =
| other_language_1 = French
| other_language_1 = French
Line 20: Line 20:
| metric_unit=cm
| metric_unit=cm
| imperial_unit=in
| imperial_unit=in
| city=[[Paris]]
| city=Paris
| museum=[[Musée d'Orsay]]
| museum=[[Musée d'Orsay]]
}}
}}


'''''Starry Night''''' <ref name="auto"/> (September 1888, {{lang-fr|La Nuit étoilée}}), commonly known as '''''Starry Night Over the Rhône''''', is one of [[Vincent van Gogh]]'s paintings of [[Arles]] at night. It was painted on the bank of the [[Rhône]] that was only a one or two-minute walk from [[the Yellow House]] on the Place Lamartine, which van Gogh was renting at the time. The [[night sky]] and the effects of light at night provided the subject for some of van Gogh's more famous paintings, including ''[[Café Terrace at Night]]'' (painted earlier the same month) and the June, 1889, canvas from Saint-Remy, ''[[The Starry Night]]''.
'''''Starry Night''''' <ref name="auto"/> (September 1888, {{langx|fr|La Nuit étoilée}}), commonly known as '''''Starry Night Over the Rhône''''', is one of [[Vincent van Gogh]]'s paintings of [[Arles]] at night. It was painted on the bank of the [[Rhône]] that was only a one or two-minute walk from [[the Yellow House]] on the Place Lamartine, which van Gogh was renting at the time. The [[night sky]] and the effects of light at night provided the subject for some of van Gogh's more famous paintings, including ''[[Café Terrace at Night]]'' (painted earlier the same month) and the June, 1889, canvas from Saint-Remy, ''[[The Starry Night]]''.


A sketch of the painting is included in a letter van Gogh sent to his friend [[Eugène Boch]] on 2 October 1888.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eugeneboch.com/letter.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729172453/http://www.eugeneboch.com/letter.htm|url-status=dead|title=Letter to Eugène Boch including a sketch of ''Starry Night over the Rhone'' painting|archive-date=July 29, 2012}}</ref>
A sketch of the painting is included in a letter van Gogh sent to his friend [[Eugène Boch]] on 2 October 1888.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eugeneboch.com/letter.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729172453/http://www.eugeneboch.com/letter.htm|url-status=dead|title=Letter to Eugène Boch including a sketch of ''Starry Night over the Rhone'' painting|archive-date=July 29, 2012}}</ref>
Line 31: Line 31:


==Subject matter==
==Subject matter==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2024}}
[[Image:France Arles Reattu LaCroix 2008.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A similar view of the site, 2008]]
[[Image:France Arles Reattu LaCroix 2008.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A similar view of the site, 2008]]
The view is from the [[quay]] on the east side of the Rhône, into the knee of the river towards the western shore: coming down from the north, the Rhône turns to the right at this point to surround the rocks on which Arles is built. From the towers of Saint-Julien and Saint-Trophime at the left, the spectator follows the east bank up to the iron bridge connecting Arles to the suburb of [[Trinquetaille]] on the right, western bank. This implies a view from Place Lamartine towards the southwest.
The view is from the [[quay]] on the east side of the Rhône, into the knee of the river towards the western shore: coming down from the north, the Rhône turns to the right at this point to surround the rocks on which Arles is built. From the towers of Saint-Julien and Saint-Trophime at the left, the spectator follows the east bank up to the iron bridge connecting Arles to the suburb of [[Trinquetaille]] on the right, western bank. This implies a view from Place Lamartine towards the southwest.
Line 36: Line 37:


==Genesis==
==Genesis==
[[File:Gogh - jh 1594.jpg|thumb|Letter sketch, 2 October 1888, now in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam]]
[[File:Gogh - jh 1594.jpg|thumb|Letter sketch, 2 October 1888, now in the [[Van Gogh Museum]], Amsterdam]]
Van Gogh announced and described this composition in a letter to his brother Theo:
Van Gogh announced and described this composition in a letter to his brother Theo:
{{Quote|Included a small sketch of a 30 square canvas - in short the starry sky painted by night, actually under a gas jet. The sky is aquamarine, the water is royal blue, the ground is mauve. The town is blue and purple. The gas is yellow and the reflections are russet gold descending down to green-bronze. On the aquamarine field of the sky the [[Ursa Major|Great Bear]] is a sparkling green and pink, whose discreet paleness contrasts with the brutal gold of the gas. Two colorful figurines of lovers in the foreground.<ref>Letter [http://webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/543.htm 543]</ref>}}
{{Quote|Included a small sketch of a 30 square canvas - in short the starry sky painted by night, actually under a gas jet. The sky is aquamarine, the water is royal blue, the ground is mauve. The town is blue and purple. The gas is yellow and the reflections are russet gold descending down to green-bronze. On the aquamarine field of the sky the [[Ursa Major|Great Bear]] is a sparkling green and pink, whose discreet paleness contrasts with the brutal gold of the gas. Two colorful figurines of lovers in the foreground.<ref>Letter [http://webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/543.htm 543] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204193027/http://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/18/543.htm |date=2017-12-04 }}</ref>}}


In reality, the view depicted in the painting faces ''away'' from [[Ursa Major]], which is to the north. The foreground indicates heavy rework, wet-in-wet, as soon as the first state was finished.<ref>For a tracing of the original composition see Roland Dorn 1990, ill. p. 388</ref> The letter sketches executed at this time probably are based on the original composition.
In reality, the view depicted in the painting faces ''away'' from [[Ursa Major]], which is to the north. The foreground indicates heavy rework, wet-in-wet, as soon as the first state was finished.<ref>For a tracing of the original composition see Roland Dorn 1990, ill. p. 388</ref> The letter sketches executed at this time probably are based on the original composition.


==Colours of the night==
==Colours of the night==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2024}}
The challenge of painting at night intrigued van Gogh. The vantage point he chose for ''Starry Night'' allowed him to capture the reflections of the [[gas lighting]] in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the [[Rhône]]. In the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river.
The challenge of painting at night intrigued van Gogh. The vantage point he chose for ''Starry Night'' allowed him to capture the reflections of the [[gas lighting]] in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the [[Rhône]]. In the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river.


Depicting [[colour]] was of great importance to Vincent; in letters to his brother, [[Theo van Gogh (art dealer)|Theo]], he often described objects in his paintings in terms of colour. His night paintings, including ''Starry Night'', emphasize the importance he placed on capturing the sparkling colors of the night sky and of the artificial lighting that was new to the era.
Depicting [[colour]] was of great importance to Vincent; in letters to his brother, [[Theo van Gogh (art dealer)|Theo]], he often described objects in his paintings in terms of colour. His night paintings, including ''Starry Night'', emphasize the importance he placed on capturing the sparkling colors of the night sky and of the artificial lighting that was new to the era.

==The Great Bear==
In September 1888, when [[Vincent van Gogh]] painted this picture on the banks of the [[Rhône]], he saw the city of Arles looking south-west. The [[Ursa Major|Great Bear]] will never be visible in that direction. On the other hand, he only had to turn his head to the north to see the constellation in exactly the position depicted. This painting is therefore an assemblage of a terrestrial plane and a celestial plane.<ref name="Note5">https://raymoonphoto.com/en/the-riddle-of-the-painting/</ref>

== The Star Flowers ==
In 1888, when he painted the night sky, the stars resemble flowers. By the time he painted ''[[The Starry Night]]'' in 1889, his technique has evolved, the brightness of the stars being symbolized by concentric dotted circles.<ref name="Note5" />


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of works by Vincent van Gogh]]
* [[List of works by Vincent van Gogh]]
* [https://raymoonphoto.com/en/the_riddle_of_the_painting/ ''The riddle of the painting'' (Extensive research explains the assembly in the painting of a celestial plane and an earthly plane).])


==References==
==References==
Line 61: Line 70:


{{Vincent van Gogh}}
{{Vincent van Gogh}}
{{Musée d'Orsay}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


Line 67: Line 77:
[[Category:Paintings of Arles by Vincent van Gogh]]
[[Category:Paintings of Arles by Vincent van Gogh]]
[[Category:1888 paintings]]
[[Category:1888 paintings]]
[[Category:Paintings in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay]]
[[Category:Paintings in the Musée d'Orsay]]
[[Category:Ships in art]]
[[Category:Ships in art]]
[[Category:Rivers in art]]
[[Category:Rivers in art]]
[[Category:Oil on canvas paintings]]

Latest revision as of 17:50, 23 December 2024

This article is about the 1888 Van Gogh painting. For the 1889 Van Gogh painting on the same theme, see The Starry Night. For other uses, see Starry Night (disambiguation).
Starry Night Over the Rhône [1]
French: La Nuit étoilée
ArtistVincent van Gogh
Year1888
Catalogue
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions72.5 cm × 92 cm (28.5 in × 36.2 in)
LocationMusée d'Orsay, Paris

Starry Night [1] (September 1888, French: La Nuit étoilée), commonly known as Starry Night Over the Rhône, is one of Vincent van Gogh's paintings of Arles at night. It was painted on the bank of the Rhône that was only a one or two-minute walk from the Yellow House on the Place Lamartine, which van Gogh was renting at the time. The night sky and the effects of light at night provided the subject for some of van Gogh's more famous paintings, including Café Terrace at Night (painted earlier the same month) and the June, 1889, canvas from Saint-Remy, The Starry Night.

A sketch of the painting is included in a letter van Gogh sent to his friend Eugène Boch on 2 October 1888.[2]

Starry Night, which is now in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, was first exhibited in 1889 at Paris' annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. It was shown together with van Gogh's Irises, which was added by Vincent's brother, Theo, although Vincent had proposed including one of his paintings from the public gardens in Arles.

Subject matter

[edit]
A similar view of the site, 2008

The view is from the quay on the east side of the Rhône, into the knee of the river towards the western shore: coming down from the north, the Rhône turns to the right at this point to surround the rocks on which Arles is built. From the towers of Saint-Julien and Saint-Trophime at the left, the spectator follows the east bank up to the iron bridge connecting Arles to the suburb of Trinquetaille on the right, western bank. This implies a view from Place Lamartine towards the southwest. 43°40′57″N 4°37′49″E / 43.682367°N 4.630287°E / 43.682367; 4.630287 Though, as noted below this is not consistent with the stars portrayed as the Plough in Ursa Major would not be visible in that direction.

Genesis

[edit]
Letter sketch, 2 October 1888, now in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Van Gogh announced and described this composition in a letter to his brother Theo:

Included a small sketch of a 30 square canvas - in short the starry sky painted by night, actually under a gas jet. The sky is aquamarine, the water is royal blue, the ground is mauve. The town is blue and purple. The gas is yellow and the reflections are russet gold descending down to green-bronze. On the aquamarine field of the sky the Great Bear is a sparkling green and pink, whose discreet paleness contrasts with the brutal gold of the gas. Two colorful figurines of lovers in the foreground.[3]

In reality, the view depicted in the painting faces away from Ursa Major, which is to the north. The foreground indicates heavy rework, wet-in-wet, as soon as the first state was finished.[4] The letter sketches executed at this time probably are based on the original composition.

Colours of the night

[edit]

The challenge of painting at night intrigued van Gogh. The vantage point he chose for Starry Night allowed him to capture the reflections of the gas lighting in Arles across the glimmering blue water of the Rhône. In the foreground, two lovers stroll by the banks of the river.

Depicting colour was of great importance to Vincent; in letters to his brother, Theo, he often described objects in his paintings in terms of colour. His night paintings, including Starry Night, emphasize the importance he placed on capturing the sparkling colors of the night sky and of the artificial lighting that was new to the era.

The Great Bear

[edit]

In September 1888, when Vincent van Gogh painted this picture on the banks of the Rhône, he saw the city of Arles looking south-west. The Great Bear will never be visible in that direction. On the other hand, he only had to turn his head to the north to see the constellation in exactly the position depicted. This painting is therefore an assemblage of a terrestrial plane and a celestial plane.[5]

The Star Flowers

[edit]

In 1888, when he painted the night sky, the stars resemble flowers. By the time he painted The Starry Night in 1889, his technique has evolved, the brightness of the stars being symbolized by concentric dotted circles.[5]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Musée d'Orsay: Vincent van Gogh Starry Night". Musée d'Orsay. 2007-07-31. Archived from the original on 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  2. ^ "Letter to Eugène Boch including a sketch of Starry Night over the Rhone painting". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012.
  3. ^ Letter 543 Archived 2017-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ For a tracing of the original composition see Roland Dorn 1990, ill. p. 388
  5. ^ a b https://raymoonphoto.com/en/the-riddle-of-the-painting/

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Starry_Night_Over_the_Rhône&oldid=1264816820"