Send Flowers Pay By Check

Many art fans consider Van Gogh Starry Night to be the 'magnus opus' of the tragic Dutch post-impressionist. He painted it when he was confined to a Saint-Remy asylum in June of 1889, shortly before he short himself in the chest, an injury from which he perished two days later. The painting shows the view from his room. The original painting itself hangs in the American Museum of Modern Art and has done so for more than sixty years.

The foreground of Starry Night is dominated by a large cypress tree, a recurring theme in many of VVG's paintings, especially towards the end of his life, 1888, 1889 and 1890. It appears in 'Cypresses', 'The Poets Garden IV', Road with Cypress and Star', 'Cypresses and Two Women', 'Cypresses with Two Female Figures' and 'Wheatfield with Cypresses'.

Starry Night grasps the observer by the heart strings and pulls him in. Maybe it appeals to us because of the deep inner turmoil he was going through at the asylum. It is intimate, personal and speaks so much of the artist than any of his myriad of self portraits. In spite of the brilliance of his many other works, this painting iconically defines its artist.

Vincent Van Gogh makes skilful use of something called 'chiaroscuro', a means of using shade and light to produce depth in a painting. Literally translated from the Italian, it means, 'light-dark'. One way in which he uses chiaroscuro is to breathe life into his still life paintings of flowers in a vase. Examples of this, all painted in Paris in 1886, are 'Vase with Zinnias', 'Vase with Mysotis and Peonies', 'Vase with Zinnias and Other Flowers', and 'Vase with Carnations'.

He also uses flowers to provide us with a glimpse into the hell which he was experiencing. 'Vase with Gladioli and Carnations' and 'Vase with Red Gladioli' (both Paris, 1886) show the scarlet blooms licking the canvas like so many tongues of fire.

In 'A Pair of Shoes', painted in Paris in 1886, the image of a well-worn pair of boots in a dark room with a pool of light illuminating the floor behind them, the viewer gets the sense of a hard-working man who has just come inside and sat down in front of the fire for a well-earned rest. The only colors present are blacks and greys with splashes of light.

An example of one of his most vibrant works of art is 'Fourteenth of July Celebration in Paris'. Geometric shards of yellows, reds and purples dominate the upper half of the canvas, screaming, 'fireworks'. Underneath the blast are spectators all dressed in black. At the center of the explosion, the shards of color are tinged with darker tones.

One of his most surreal works is 'Skull with Burning Cigarette'. The subject could easily be a poster boy for campaign to encourage people to quite smoking. It was painted in Antwerp, Belgium, during the winter of 1885-1886. It is currently displayed in the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands.

I hope you find this article interesting. Consider a museum quality for your home decoration project. Our studio specialized in reproductions of museum masterpieces. Enjoy our large selections of at affordable prices.