Essay
Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night 
Art forms an integral part of the daily life since people interact with many paintings, images, and portraits often. In fact, artists use these artworks to blueprint their intended information to the society. However, it requires one intuition and close observation if a person must derive meaning from any visual object. The Starry Night Over the Rhone by Vincent Van Gogh proves one such attractive artwork for visualization. Apparently, the title of this artwork brings a clue on the intended meaning regarding its purposes. Gogh applies different visual aids aimed at enabling the viewer to derive meaning out of the artwork. The various components of the image include formal aspects like color, texture, line, space, and tone which form the central focus of this visual analysis.
Gogh uses the Starry Night Over the Rhone to present the view of a quay which is a waterside street. This feature traces its location to the east side of the Rhone. Apparently, the artist intends to presents the beauty of this place, especially the way it appears during night hours. Moreover, Gogh uses oil on canvas as the material medium in which to present the painting. The selection of this medium ensures that the image reflects the night appearance hence contributing to the subject matter (Wood, 2013). The artwork is of the size 72.5 cm ? 92 cm (28.5 in ? 36.2 in) appropriate for visualization. This size provides an appropriate dimension for the viewers and, as a result, they can identify most of the features that compose the drawing. It also gives the height to width ratio of 0.79.
Another essential feature of this artwork explores the features that contribute to its overall outlook. The composition of the painting includes appropriate fitting on the frame with most salient features at the center. Even though there is less brightness since the time reflects night hours, the artist uses enough light to allow for the visualization of the finer details. Moreover, the presence of the stars is a prove for the availability of the light necessary to aid vision. However, the inadequacy of the light has compromised the clarity of the images. From a distance, one can see marred of two people, possibly a man, and a woman. Additionally, the artist uses proper color contrast that enables the viewer to derive full meaning out of the artwork. There are some gray colors and the part of the sky being in blue to enable one to notice the presence of the star. Also, the brightness of the stars promotes their visibility and isolation in the drawing.
Furthermore, one can easily notice the usage of the various formal aspects like color, texture, line, space, and tone. Gogh uses oil color and canvas to give the drawing the necessary and relevant outlook. A close view of the image discloses its oily nature that brings the impression of the night period. It also enhances viewing by avoiding much reflection of light into the eye. In fact, the use of the canvas in this painting gives the image a smooth texture that tends to allow the identification of its subtle nuances. Gogh also uses clear lines though one need keenness to identify them (Charles & Gogh, 2011). Another aspect that the artist integrates into the drawing is the use of open space with the emphasizes on both solids and voids. The artwork applies linear perspective with the main interest being near. The next fascinating aspect of the painting is the choice of the recessed plane with some good overlap of the sky objects and those underground. They also offer a high degree of illusion. The artist has chosen a dark tone to explain the fact that the image reflects an event during the night hours.
The next category of the formal aspects includes the analysis of contrast, unity, balance, harmony, symmetry, repetition, scale, and proportion. The use of different colors like gray and blue and varying object sizes provide enough contrast to the drawing. Also, there is unity and balance of the coloring and spacing of the images. More so, the repetition of the stars and some background colors stress the message of the drawing and ensures harmony. The viewer can also identify symmetry regarding the same placement of the objects on either side of the drawing. The scale and proportion are appropriate to allow the balance of the objects.
Finally, the analysis of the visual aspects of the Starry Night Over the Rhone fosters one’s understanding of the artwork. It aids the identification of the critical features of any painting. Consequently, one develops the mastery of the significant elements to consider when designing or drawing any image. Furthermore, mastering the skills of size, ratio, and contrast guarantees a person to provide the viewer with the most appealing artwork. The analysis also allows the familiarity with the important terminologies relevant to the field of art.
Overall, the Starry Night Over the Rhone represents one of the best drawings by Gogh, especially its ability to focus on the night event. The artist uses different features skeptically thereby enabling maximum visualizing of the drawing. The choice of colors, medium size, and the frame display contributes to the subject matter. Other significant aspects of the picture include its composition. Gogh considers the use of space and lines essential in aiding the viewers understanding of the drawing. Finally, the analysis allows a person to familiarize with the necessary terms and skills for designing a better drawing.
