I was privileged to listen to an audio tour guide, which enhanced my admiration for this masterpiece to another level. Up to this point, I was only privy to my own visual awe and emotional pull. However, as I listened to the recording tell a tale of how Van Gogh transformed a common symbol of death into something beautiful, a light of illumination overwhelemed my senses. The combination of his Cypress tree and the Morning Star was not an accident. Vincent Van Gogh sought through his painting to dispel the common theme of regarding death as the enemy. But instead, as a passageway to something better than this world, that death is not the end, but the beginning.
This has been an experience of a lifetime for me. As I must admit, I was as guilty as most of the general public of quickly assuming that Van Gogh reflected the negative emotions he experienced in his personal life into his paintings, including "Starry Night". That every time I looked upon it, I sensed a kind of sadness that I associated with Van Gogh's regarding his personal heartaches. But after listening to his quotation of what his intent was regarding this painting, it all makes sense to me now; "Just as we take the train to get to Terrascon Ruin (sic), we take death to reach a star."
Van Gogh is the master of post-impressionism, not just in his technique and style, but also in his visions and intentions. It also stands to reason that "Starry Night" is not a solitary vision of his, but is one in many that feature his magnificent "Morning Star". "Starry Night", an oil on canvas, was composed in 1889, whereas a year later Vincent Van Gogh left on his own journey to reach the stars at the age of 37.
--JK Michelle
