Getty Museum
Starry Night
Creator
Edvard MunchNorwegian Artist · 1863–1944
All works by this person →> Art is the antithesis of nature. > > --Edvard Munch > > Like many artists who came of age in the wake of Impressionism, Edvard Munch began his career painting closely observed scenes of the world around him. But Munch's work took on an ever-deepening emphasis on subjectivity and an active rejection of visible reality. The unique and highly personal style he developed to convey mood, emotion, or
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1893
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Culture
- Norwegian
- Department
- Paintings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
This night landscape represents the coastline at Åsgårdstrand, a small beach resort south of Oslo in Norway, where Edvard Munch spent his summers from the 1880s onward. Here Munch tried to capture the emotions called forth by the night rather than to record its picturesque qualities. The color blue conveys the mysticism and melancholy of the landscape, which seems full of premonitions. An abstract mound at the right represents a clump of trees; a white fence runs diagonally in front. The vaguely defined shape on the fence may be a shadow of two lovers, a recurring theme in Munch's work. He used an undulating line to depict the shoreline that continues into the trees at the right. Stars reflect in the water, and a flash of light in the trees shines brightly. Varying thicknesses of blue and green paint are blended together to form the impression of a night sky. Some areas are thickly painted, while others are left bare to convey the lighter segments of the sky or a celestial phenomenon.
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