Who?

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. Born in the Netherlands in 1853 into an upper-middle-class family and died in France in 1890. Van Gogh suffered from his mental stability and when his friendship ended with Gauguin in rage, he severed part of his own left ear. During his lifetime he was commercially unsuccessful and considered a madman and a failure. It is only after his suicide that he became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. Most of his artworks were created in the last two years of his life. Among these works are landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, distinguished by their vibrant hues and dynamic, instinctive brushstrokes. This distinctive style played a great role in shaping the foundations of modern art.

What is “The Starry Night” about?

The Starry Night is an oil on canvas painting made in 1889 by Vincent van Gogh. It was painted in van Gogh’s studio. Van Gogh recreated a scene that he beheld of his own bedroom window in his studio. Among the paintings of views from his bedroom window, The Starry Night stands alone as the only nocturne, capturing the mystical essence of the night sky.