One of the world's most famous artists,
Vincent van Gogh, was born on this day in 1853. His beautiful painting, "Starry Night" stands out as one of the most important works of art produced in the nineteenth century. I love that picture and have two prints of it at home. Yesterday, I found
computer wallpaper of the work and now have it on my computer desktop. The painting has been referred to in the well-known song
"Vincent" by Don McLean and in a not-so-well-known movie called,
"Starry Starry Night."
When he painted, "Starry Night," Vincent might have been reflecting back on his religious studies and the time he spent as a preacher. Joseph from the Old Testament seems have had an influence on the composition. The story of Joseph and his coat of many colors is told by people of several religions. Vincent would probably be familiar with the passage below where Joseph tells his brothers of yet another of his dreams which seems to promise him power over them. Van Gogh might have thought of that story while he painted the eleven stars onto the canvas:
Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed low before me. - Genesis 37:9
The story of Joseph has inspired other great artists. In 1968, Andrew Lloyd Webber and his lyricist, Tim Rice, wrote a short musical for children called "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The musical was based on the Old Testament story in Genesis. It tells about how Joseph, the favorite of Jacob's twelve sons, is sold by his brothers into slavery, becomes the Pharaoh's right-hand man, saves the empire from a drought, and eventually rescues his family.
The original show was only 15 minutes long, performed before school children and their parents at a London prep school. The show was expanded and is now seen on stages all over the world. There was a film made of the show, starring Donny Osmond. Click here for a review.
While unlucky in love himself, Van Gogh's works show his passion and tenderness. He often used war veterans as the subject of his paintings and sketches and his regard for them is evident. Some of his works featuring these "Orphan Men" can be seen here. He also did other paintings with starry skies. Surely his spirit must now reside amongst those stars and the swirling clouds above us.