NOTTE STELLATA

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Life

Vincent van Gogh was born in Groot Zundert (Holland) in 1853 into a modest family. His father was a strict Protestant pastor and he also tried to become a preacher but without success. He studied in Paris where he came into contact with Monet, Degas, Renoir and Seurat and began a friendship with Gauguin. The two's differing artistic opinions, however, were the subject of constant quarrels that culminated in van Gogh's self-punishing gesture of cutting off part of his ear. From 1889 Vincent was hospitalised several times and in May of that year he himself wanted to be committed to a clinic for the mentally ill near Saint-Rèmy de Provence. The following year he settled in Auvers-sur-Oise where, on 27 July, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest; he died two days later in the arms of his brother Theo.

Aspirazione all'infinito

L’immagine è ottenuta attraverso l’uso di segni violenti, quasi rabbiosi, che producono un’immagine potente e a tratti minacciosa. La struttura compositiva del quadro può risultare tradizionale ma il linguaggio pittorico è assolutamente innovativo, poiché l’artista ha saputo fondere una propria visione interiore con la sua percezione del mondo esterno. Notte stellata è infatti l’espressione di una tremenda tensione, esistenziale e religiosa insieme. Fu lo stesso artista a spiegare che di notte, insonne, se ne stava a contemplare le stelle spinto da un “terribile bisogno” di Dio. Alzando gli occhi a quel cielo stellato, dalla finestra a sbarre della sua cella d’ospedale, Van Gogh aspirò dunque all’infinito, cercò una strada tutta interiore per la libertà.

Notte stellata

Notte stellata venne dipinta di notte, poco prima del sorgere del sole, e mostra quello che si poteva vedere dalla finestra della camera dell’artista: una vallata con la campagna, i tetti di un paese, una chiesa con il campanile e un cipresso (o forse due) in primo piano. Alcune finestre delle case basse sono illuminate dalle fioche luci domestiche. Non si tratta di una riproduzione fedele del panorama, perché l’artista lo modificò, creando un’immagine in parte di fantasia. È infatti ben difficile che Van Gogh potesse vedere, dalla sua finestra, anche il villaggio. La chiesa venne sicuramente aggiunta da Vincent, che aveva nostalgia della terra in cui aveva vissuto la sua infanzia. Anche il cipresso venne probabilmente immaginato dal pittore.

Starry night

Starry Night was painted at night, just before sunrise, and shows what could be seen from the window of the artist's room: a valley with the countryside, the roofs of a village, a church with a bell tower and a cypress tree (or perhaps two) in the foreground. Some of the windows of the low houses are illuminated by the dim domestic lights. This is not a faithful reproduction of the panorama, because the artist altered it, creating a partly fictional image. Indeed, it is very unlikely that Van Gogh could have seen the village from his window. The church was certainly added by Vincent, who was nostalgic for the land where he had spent his childhood. The cypress tree was probably also imagined by the painter.

Aspiration to infinity

The image is achieved through the use of violent, almost angry signs that produce a powerful and at times threatening image. The compositional structure of the painting may be traditional, but the pictorial language is absolutely innovative, as the artist has managed to fuse his own inner vision with his perception of the outside world. Starry Night is in fact the expression of a tremendous tension, both existential and religious. It was the artist himself who explained that at night, sleepless, he stood contemplating the stars driven by a ‘terrible need’ for God. Raising his eyes to that starry sky, from the barred window of his hospital cell, Van Gogh thus aspired to infinity, sought an interior path to freedom.

Life

Vincent van Gogh was born in Groot Zundert (Holland) in 1853 into a modest family. His father was a strict Protestant pastor and he also tried to become a preacher but without success. He studied in Paris where he came into contact with Monet, Degas, Renoir and Seurat and began a friendship with Gauguin. The two's differing artistic opinions, however, were the subject of constant quarrels that culminated in van Gogh's self-punishing gesture of cutting off part of his ear. From 1889 Vincent was hospitalised several times and in May of that year he himself wanted to be committed to a clinic for the mentally ill near Saint-Rèmy de Provence. The following year he settled in Auvers-sur-Oise where, on 27 July, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest; he died two days later in the arms of his brother Theo.

Vincent van Gogh nacque a Groot Zundert (Olanda) nel 1853 da una modesta famiglia. Il padre era un rigido pastore protestante e anche lui cercò di diventare un predicatore ma senza successo. Studiò a Parigi dove entrò in contatto con Monet, Degas, Renoir e Seurat e iniziò l'amicizia con Gauguin. Le differenti opinioni artistiche dei due, però, erano oggetto di continue liti che culminarono in un gesto autopunitivo di van Gogh che si tagliò parte di un orecchio. Dal 1889 Vincent fu più volte ricoverato e nel maggio di quell'anno volle egli stesso farsi internare in una clinica per alienati mentali peresso Saint-Rèmy de Provence. L'anno dopo si stabilì a Auvers-sur-Oise dove, il 27 luglio si suicidò sparandosi al petto; morì due giorni dopo fra le braccia del fratello Theo.

Vita

• Starry Night
• 1889
• Oil on canvas
• Museum of Modern Art, New York

Artwork sheet

• Notte stellata
• 1889
• Olio su tela
• Museum of Modern Art, New York

Scheda dell'opera