About Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853. Vincent Willem Van Gogh was the child of Theodorus Van Gogh and Anna Cornelia Carbentus. Being a painter herself, Van Gogh got his love for art from his mother. He was a painter from the Netherlands. Vincent was a man who had been considered nothing less the psychotic by most, though few still supported him. His brother Theo was one of his most avid supporters, and as an art dealer he was usually the one to sell Vincent's paintings. Van Gogh only went to school until he was about 15 or 16, because his family needed him to bring in extra income. Van Gogh did not have much of an educational background, after dropping out he was hired to work at his uncle's art dealer firm. After coming to the realization that ministry was his calling from God, Vincent joined the seminary for around three months. In 1880, he went to an art school to fully pursue an art career.

Vincent art career flourished during the post impressionist period. During this time, there were painters searching for a

The Cafe Terrace at Night is an abstract piece. It consist of a building a patio full of tables, chairs, and people. There are also people walking up to the restaurant. There are stars filling the sky, over a line of buildings. The first thing you notice is the liveliness of the terrace verses the darkness of the city. This piece is an example of how the night time can bring out the most energetic side of a person. This work is full of vibrant warm colors in the foreground that mix the fade into dull cool colors as the background heads into the alleyway. All the light seems to be shining directly down upon the patio due to this color. The painting has an open feel, but it does not seem lonely; moreover, it seems inviting. The use of lines in the work is very directional. Wherever there are lines, they are used consistently. The painting was done in oil painting; when that is mixed with the use of lines, the paintings gains a sense of texture. The painting shows that night is not as bad as it may seem; in addition, the piece also shows that you can find light in the darkness.

The focus in the painting is all on the foreground; the painting is vibrant made to attract the eyes of everyone around. The background is split between the beauty of the skies and the alleyway that is full of darkness and despair. Together they help to focus on the vibrant terrace. All the movement in the painting is centered in the foreground. The little movement not in the foreground is headed that way. This terrace is in the foreground, so all of the light is focused onto it. This grabs the attention of the viewer focusing it onto the community that has formed there. Here you find everyone getting along and socializing. They are able to block out the distractions, even though they seem to be in a cold area. This terrace is able to connect them. There is no commotion between the people of the terrace. The colors give the meaning to the painting. The warm yellows and oranges give the terrace that feeling of livelihood, and it also makes the dark blue buildings in the background seem isolated. The use of lines is very loose. They do not give perfect detail, but there is enough detail to make out clearly what you are looking at. The mood that this artwork gives of is fun and joyful. It is a warming example of the local establishment creating community.

I live in a small town where community is inevitable, so I understand the value of everyone being together. Mayflower has a diner that nearly half the town or more meet on sunday after church. This piece has the wholesome feeling that has been largely lost in today's world. This image is the essence of togetherness. Most people's days are spent rushing at school, work, etcetera. It is hard for people to relax and spend time together. Night is a different story. This work is a prime example of how people come together to relax after responsibilities, because others bring us a greater joy than we can get ourselves. Everywhere is the world has some sort of community, and Van Gogh saw its beauty. He wanted to convey that community is present in reality. This makes the painting mean so much to me, because most of my family live in mayflower. We are very close knit so this piece reminds me of being taught to appreciate the people around me. While looking at this image; I have a sense of security. It comes from the sky, which in itself a symbol of how everyone lives under the same roof. He did not just think this painting up. He expressed this visual of the beauty in front of him.

This piece is very successful. It has been set above some of the most remembered pieces in history. It got this success from its reality. When people see reality in art, they also see truth and meaning. Something they can relate back to them. This painting reminds me of The Last Supper, another impactful painting from history. The lord and his disciples are spending time together and enjoying themselves, even though they know what is to come. Van Gogh was obviously one of the most successful artist of all time, so do not judge him on the painting skills we know he has. Grade him based on the skill we know he has, but on the meaning he is trying to express. The piece will value people in a sense that it will teach them that there is no reason to be alone. Other make life way easier and less stressed, because most people stress over everything. The originality of this piece comes from that principle of seeing the joy others bring. The piece is original in the sense that Van Gogh took what he was seeing and painted it in a raw form. It was still as impactful as if it would have been fully detailed.

Starry Night Over the Rhone is a painting from the Impressionist Period. It is set at the Rhone river where boats are docked with many stars in the sky. There are two people standing along the bank of the Rhone, and across the river is a boardwalk. The first thing I notice is the reflection of all the lights on the river. The painting is a caption, so that Van Gogh can remember the gracious scene. The colors are mainly shades of blue. All except for the yellow to contrast the lights from the night. The lines are thick and short. It comes from the short strokes from the paint brush. The space is very open. It seems more open, because it is a top view looking more down on the river, so you can see farther. Van Gogh thickly applied oil paint to a canvas that gave the painting texture, because the brush strokes are easily seen. Van Gogh was working to furnish his new home, so he was deciding to paint the surroundings. He painted some of the most beautiful areas of his new town.

The work revolves around around the river. There is not much much movement in the painting. The water is kind of calm, but there are a few waves that are crashing onto the shore. The lights across the river emphasize the buildings. The bank is also emphasized by the boat on it, along with the people standing on it. The only people in the painting seem to have an emotional relationship of some kind, because they are holding hands and are very close together. The colors give the feeling of night. It makes it seem like lighting is very low, and it helps make the stars seem brighter. The lines in the painting are very rigid. He uses them to give a lot of detail to the objects. It makes it easy to know what they are. The boats on the bank are very clear, and the buildings in the background have more detail than expected. Especially the ones made to seem nearer. Other than objects there are not many geometric shapes. The mood is very peaceful. It makes it seem very calming.

The piece is enchanting. The lights on the water have a mesmerizing effect on the mind. Living on a lake allows me to spend much time to sit outside and just stare at the beauty of the water; when there is a clear sky, the stars shine down on to the lake. They sparkle in the ripples like Christmas lights. Whenever we go to my grandparents lake house, we see all the boat pulling up to the marina like the boats across the lake. In places where there are canals, gondola rides are very common for romantic evenings. In the painting, the couple seems to be having a romantic time after a boat ride. The artist wants to convey the beauty of the world around us. I love nature, and I do not think there is a more beautiful place than near the water. The water is the most beautiful place, so to see others appreciate that is amazing. The whole painting is a metaphor of how beautifully the natural world and the civilization has mixed. The time period the artist painted this piece was near the end of the impressionist era, so the use of thick layers or oil paint was very common.

The painting has such an immense amount of detail, even though it is done in impasto during a period where objects in paintings were not supposed to be where only shells (outlines). Starry Night was always one of my favorite paintings, and I never realized that it had been preceded by another painting. Starry Night over shadowed its predecessor, yet it was still as marvelous. This painting does not need to be compared to more successful Van Gogh pieces, but it should be judged on how well it represents the scene that it has been made to capture. I would not say that it is beneficial to others, except that it shows more of the skill of the great painter. The painting does show that the world can have a peaceful balance, but I do not see a deeper meaning than that. The painting is a twist on a place that Van Gogh saw of beauty, and it painted it in his style. Making it original to him.

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