Gogh, Vincent van (1889). Starry Night [oil on canvas]. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

A beautiful incremental example of the artistic movement from optical reality to pure abstraction. This work is in the middle of the abstraction scale, leaning slightly towards realism. The sky dominates the work, and van Gogh’s formal choices in it’s rough rendering communicate the idea of night sky more effectively than a painting that was more realistic could. | 

The scene is a panoramic view of a village beneath a clear night sky. An impression of a chilly night of stargazing is masterfully communicated. This work leaves its unique mark on the progressive marginalization of subject in favor of increasing emphasis on content. The entire composition is based on rough and generous brush strokes that vary in length but not width, and are mostly abrupt. This creates a consistent, pleasing global texture. Individual strokes in close proximity create shapes that are defined by changes in color or value. The color scheme is a cool split complementary. An overall pattern is created by the bright values and colors and the intervals between them. 

Spatial depth is ambiguous but quite orderly. A flame-like silhouetted structure establishes a foreground that actually invades the space of the observer. In the vast distance, the town is arranged, followed closely behind by low hills. Finally, the night sky and atmospherically-ambiguous mountains (or maybe low clouds) create the “final” background. Normally this would create a vast sense of depth, but the individual strokes this work is based on, the relatively pure color scale and lack of formal choice changes from ground to ground effectively flatten this work.

When pictorial balance is analyzed, each of this work’s quadrants is roughly equivalent in terms of both elemental weight and directional forces. The result is a work of stable asymmetry. All strokes are fluid and free-flowing, resulting in a composition that seems to be in shifting motion. These individual elements overpower the shapes they create. All shapes are organic in character, but the roughly geometric circular shapes in the sky are balanced against the blocky shapes of the buildings below quite well. The color scheme is portioned out masterfully, with the split side of the spectrum standing out well against the cool dominate side. Value is favored over purity as a method to provide variety. Mid-tones are nearly absent, and like the color scheme high-key values are overshadowed by low, yet stand out more.

The sky is particularly captivating; The swift swirling of the sky is repeated by the circular glow of the stars and moon. The observer is standing somewhat outside of town, taking in the beautiful scenery of the village and the night sky. The dimensions of the tiny buildings are reflected by the largest shape of all, the picture frame.

The many strengths of this work are difficult to quantify. The beautiful and somewhat severe abstraction of a picturesque scene creates both a unique, pleasing pattern and retains it’s recognizability. The emotional impact of this work is organic and undeniable.