Van Gogh ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’

Van Gogh has never been interested in painting realistic-looking landscapes. Whenever the scenery seemed good enough to capture, he always knew he could make it even better. By adding imaginary shades and shifting parts of the composition, he achieved incredible effects and depicted common things from a new, unexpected side, exemplified by his painting ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone.’

A view without boundaries

The canvas takes us to a desolate river bank illuminated by distant gas-lights and huge, phantasmagoric stars. Various hues of blue, violet, yellow and orange create an incessant flow of light and darkness that sweeps the viewer’s eye. There is no variation in color intensity, paint texture or dynamics. All elements of the landscape share the same visual weight. The beach, the water, the city on the horizon and the night sky smoothly continue each other, and even a couple of late strollers in the foreground seems to be just ripples on the wet sand, caught up in this whirlpool of rampant strokes. We can rather guess than actually see what’s in the picture. Long, trembling reflections on the river surface glue the composition together adding glitter and warmth to the scene. Overhead, they are echoed by cold, greenish twinkling of Ursa Major that can be clearly traced in the sky, albeit way brighter and bigger than it really is. Once again, Van Gogh strikes us with an unusual mix of fluency and intensity that is so characteristic of his style. 

Interesting facts about the painting

• - What we see on the canvas is an actual view from the bank of the Rhone. The spot is just a few minute walk from the house Van Gogh was renting in Arles.
• - To capture elusive light effects, he was painting the scenery at night under a gas jet.
• - In a letter to his brother, Van Gogh gives a detailed description of the palette he used mentioning no less than 12 colors.
• - The constellation of Ursa Major was added by the artist and can’t be seen directly over the river.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to hang this marvelous landscape on your wall! We offer a 100% hand-made reproduction of Van Gogh ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’ at a price that won’t hit you in the pocket. The painting features the same palette and style as the original and accurately replicates each stroke. Premium oil paints, high-quality canvas and painstaking imitation of the artist’s techniques will make you believe you are actually looking at Van Gogh’s masterpiece!