Van Gogh's Accomplishments

According To Layman (1984), Vincent van Gogh wrote in an 1888 letter to his sister Willemina (Wil) about the American poet Walt Whitman, "He sees in the future, and even in the present, a world of health, of generous, frank carnal love — of friendship — of work, with the great starry firmament, something, in short, that one could only call God and eternity, put back in place above this world." Werness (1985) states these words describing Walt Whitman's poetry may have served as inspiration for the artist, especially for van Gogh's iconic painting, Starry Night. It was not long after this letter to his sister Wil that van Gogh voluntarily committed himself to an insane asylum where he ended up painting his most recognizable piece,
Van Gogh, talented but not necessarily gifted, is the most recognizable painters of the Post-impressionism movement. Over his short career, several other artists influenced the evolution of his style and in turn, with his emotional and bold use of color. Van Gogh influenced multiple 20th century art movements, including Abstract Expressionism and Fauvism. Vincent van Gogh started his career as an artist at the late age of 27. He was born in 1853 in Groot Zundert, The Netherlands, and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 37 while staying at The Ravoux Inn in Auvers-sur-Oise, a small town located in the suburbs of Paris (Hulsker, 1990). It was during van Gogh's teen years when he was taught to draw by landscape artist Constantijn C. Huysmans (van Gogh, 2011). He was forced to leave his studies at the age of fifteen and began a wide variety of careers, including that of art dealer, teacher, and preacher (Brooks, 2018). Records showed he applied to the Brussels art school in 1881, but his time at the school was either very brief or, according to Hulsker, van Gogh was never admitted. Nevertheless, he did
In letters to his brother, van Gogh said that the night sky brough him a sense of calmness. This Post-impressionism work is roughly 29 inches by 36 inches and was completed in 1889 just 13 months before his Vincent van Gogh's death. The painting is of the night sky and is inspired by Jean-François Millet's painting, Starry Night. The swirling clouds and bright stars give a sense of strong movement over a quiet village. Van Gogh's expressive use of line and color conveys his emotion in this piece. Even though it is nighttime, he shows some detail in the homes such as windows and doors. The brushstrokes are quite thick which adds to the depth and rich texture of the work. The contrasting colors of the sky with the cool dark blues, greens and warm yellows and oranges add to the sense of movement and swirling winds. The large cypress in the foreground is traditionally found in graveyard to express eternity. The church's spire dominates the town and points to the heavens. The painting seems to be full of life and the expresses van Gogh's love of nature and may have been a way for him to convey hope that even in dark, one can see life in the homes