My first impression of The Starry Night, 1889 was tainted by the museum worker who yelled at anyone who passed him to get a closer look at the painting. I understand the museum’s goal in protecting the art, but museums should come up with a way for people to have a more personal experience with the work. The artwork was not difficult to locate; it was on the 5^thfloor of the museum’s gallery titled, “Collection Galleries.” This floor included various Pablo Picasso paintings and several Georges Braque’s productions. My goal was to see The Starry Night because it is one of the most famous paintings in the world. There are replicas hanging in various households and restaurants in the city and the simple idea of being in the same building as the original painting was thrilling. The reason it was not difficult to find the art was because it was the only painting I saw with a crowd of people around it. The security guard was standing and waiting for someone to cross the imaginary line he created so that he can yell, “Do not cross where I am standing!”

My initial analysis was that van Gogh was experiencing loneliness, or sadness, during his painting because of the mixed variations of the color blue. The color blue is usually associated with feelings of grief or melancholy. After doing some research, I learned that the artist painted this work while in a mental institution. This work also highlights this idea with the tree on the left that can be viewed as a dark flame. This dark flame combines the sparking swirls in the sky with the small dim village at the bottom. Vincent van Gogh clearly feels a deeper connection with the sky than he does with humanity because the sky is painted with brighter colors and exerts more energy than the small village at the bottom. The painting is divided into two distinct areas, but the object that united them is the dark flame-like tree on the left. The tree is clearly the common thread in the two distinct areas, meaning that van Gogh’s overall attitude is filled with unhappiness. It can be assumed that The Starry Night was the view van Gogh had from his asylum window. The artist’s depression and delusion get the best of him in the summer of 1890, when he commits suicide. Vincent van Gogh never truly left the world as his art is surrounded by crowds of people, and others that would pay millions to own his imagination.

This new method of examining art I learned in English 2100 proved to be a success in my overall experience. This method involves observing the art for five minutes and then writing initial notes about the art. This is followed by writing final thoughts about the art later, when the viewer has had time away from the art. The initial viewing, allows for the viewer to come up with compelling questions and then later minimal research allows for a complete experience that answers the questions. I was able to first enjoy the colors, and various messages I got from the painting without any research, then I was able to fill gaps of understanding by doing the research. This resulted in a complete experience of The Starry Night.