Expressionism Van Goughs Starry Night Essay - 591 Words

During the Modern Era of the late 19th century and the early 20th century, many artists were turning away from the idea of painting realistic images. Photography, having just been developed for public use a few decades earlier, made artists of the day focus less on painting as an precise copy of what is seen, as had been done for centuries. Since the Middle Ages, most artists painted exact representations of life. Starting in the late 1800s, though, many artists were starting to embrace the theory of art as an impression of what is seen. Impressionism, the art movement that began in the 1870s in France, was the first real development of this new concept of painting. Impressionists, such as Claude Monet, sought to put on canvas how they†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;With its swirling colors and lines, The Starry Night, incorporates not just the color and light that is found in the earlier works of these painters, but it shows how forms and feelings also came i nto play. One of van Gogh’s main beliefs was that art was a direct representation of how the artist feels. Having grown up in a very religious family, van Gogh viewed the heavens as a beautiful, living thing. His heavy brushstrokes and vivid colors portray the night sky as crazy and chaotic and the village below as peaceful and serene. Van Gogh’s troubled life, which involved many failures in life, love and business, forced him into madness, which eventually caused him to commit suicide. While the problems of his life may have caused personal trauma, the artistic importance of his insanity is overwhelming. Perhaps if he had not gone crazy, he never would have created the masterpieces that have had such an impact on art and history. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The historical significance of The Starry Night mirrors the events taking place during this era of modernity. During this time, scientists, writers and artists were seeking nontraditional ways of thinking. While scientists were learning about humans and physics in ways that had not been used before, and philosophers were finding new theories of life, writers and artists were disregarding old ways of writing and painting, andShow MoreRelatedVincent Van Gogh : The Greatest Artist Of All Time1710 Words   |  7 PagesVincent van Gogh is arguably considered one of the greatest artist of all time, but his career wasn’t always focused on the arts. Vincent was born March 30th, 1853, in Zundert, Neth, and did not begin his art career until the age of 27. (1) Prior to his ventures in the arts, Vincent, at the age of 16, worked as an art dealer apprentice for Goupil and Company. During his 3 year stay at Gurpil and Company, â€Å"Daily contact with works of art aroused his artistic sensibility, and he soon formed a taste