Shop art print and framed art Starry Night over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh

Historical context and creation of the work

Created in 1888, "Starry Night in Arles" is a painting that was created during Van Gogh's stay in the town of Arles, located in the south of France. This period was marked by a high level of artistic production and the search for the painter's own style, influenced by the bright, colourful landscapes of the region. The painting depicts a view from the window of Van Gogh's rented room, overlooking a café and a lively square lined with plane trees.

Influence of contemporary artists

Van Gogh was very attentive to the work of his contemporaries and was inspired by their techniques to create his own pictorial language. In this way, he adopted certain characteristics specific to the works of Eugène Delacroix, Paul Gauguin or even Georges Seurat, such as the contrast of complementary colours or the division of touches of colour.

Description and analysis of the composition

"Starry Night in Arles" is a painting of relatively small dimensions (72 x 92 cm), produced in oil on canvas. It is characterised by a dynamic composition and an intense colour palette, with warm hues such as yellow, orange and red, contrasting with the cool tones of blue and green.

The starry sky

Three elements compete superbly in this composition: shadow, light and water. But in this work, Van Gogh gives pride of place to the night sky, which takes up half the surface of the canvas. The painter depicts a sky dotted with luminous, twinkling stars, suggesting a certain vibration of light. We also see the Big Dipper and the Milky Way, testifying to Van Gogh's interest in astronomy. This sumptuous night sky seems to respond to the urban light. These twin flashes, natural and artificial, are reflected in the mirror of the Rhône, setting the night ablaze with their multiplied brilliance.

The city of Arles

Below the starry sky is a stylised representation of the city of Arles, with its facades on the banks of the Rhône plunged into darkness. In the foreground, a couple stroll along the riverbank, as if to inject vitality and dynamism into the scene.

Pictorial techniques and artistic contribution

Van Gogh developed a particular style in "Starry Night in Arles", characterised by thick, vigorous horizontal strokes of paint, which give an impression of relief and texture to the work. This technique, known as "impasto", creates an effect of matter and volume on the flat surface of the canvas.

The use of colour

The choice of colours in this work is both bold and harmonious. Van Gogh uses bright, contrasting hues to highlight the various elements of the composition, while creating a luminous and haunting nocturnal atmosphere. The contrast between warm (yellow, orange) and cool (blue, green) colours contributes to the painting's dynamism and balance.

The representation of light

Van Gogh places great importance on the representation of light in his paintings. In "Starry Night in Arles", he succeeds in transcribing the luminous effects of night through the judicious use of colour and touches of paint applied with force and precision. In this urban landscape, the brilliance of the stars and lanterns thus contrasts with the half-light, setting the scene for a veritable nightly symphony of light.

The work's posterity and influence

"Starry Night in Arles" is today considered to be one of Vincent Van Gogh's major works and a masterpiece in the history of painting. It is exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and has inspired many artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky, who have been captivated by its bold composition and mastery of colour.

An emblematic painting from the Arles period

This work perfectly reflects Van Gogh's Arles period, during which he passionately explored the possibilities offered by Mediterranean landscapes and the light of the south. "Starry Night in Arles" thus embodies the artist's stylistic evolution and his constant desire to push back the boundaries of his art.

This artwork is a painting from the modern period. It belongs to the post-impressionism style.

« Starry Night over the Rhone » is kept at Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Find the full description of Starry Night over the Rhone by Vincent van Gogh on Wikipedia.