Vincent van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853. He was the son of a pastor, which he was brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere. Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence. Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances and had worked unsuccessfully as a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman, and a preacher, where he was dismissed for overzealousness. He stayed in Belgium to study art. His goal was 'to give happiness by creating beauty'. Soon in 1885 he created "The Potato Eaters". In that year van Gogh went to Antwerp where he discovered the works of Rubens and purchased many Japanese prints.
In 1886 he went to Paris to join his brother Théo, the manager of Goupil's gallery. In Paris, van Gogh studied with Cormon, inevitably met Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin. Soon, he decided to go south to Arles where he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art. Gauguin did join him but with disastrous results. Near the end of 1888, an incident led Gauguin to ultimately leave Arles. Van Gogh tried to hurt him with aa rozor but Gauguin dodged it which Van Gogh ended up cutting his a part of his own ear lobe off. Van Gogh was then sent to the asylm for treatment.
In 1890, he had died with rumors saying he shot himself "for the good of all." During his brief career he had sold one painting. Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Gogh wanted to explain his struggle "against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature" in his art work.
Gogh created this piece of Arles in 1888. It depicted stars reflecting in the Rhone River. I thought that this painting shared many qualities that Starry Sky had.
What I liked about this piece was of the stars in the sky are surrounded with their own orb of light. It gives the stars a little more of color and it makes them more noticeable. I also really liked the reflection of the light coming from the houses. It kind of helps to keep the reader involved in the painting.
In the bottom right corner, there is a couple walking along the river. I feel that the couple gives the painting a little more interest. I think that Van Gogh painted the couple to give the painting more of a earthy, natural quality. The way they're dresses which looks natural in a way.
I think that Van Gogh painted this to show more of the beauty of nature. The colors that he had used are very beautiful. He used colors that would catch peoples eyes and get them involved. This painting gave such a beauty of he environment to look at.
