Reproduction of "Starlight Over the Rhone"
by Vincent Van Gogh
This painting was my first, painted in May of 2002. The original Van Gogh painting has always been a favorite of mine.
I had to learn how to both blend the colors and yet keep them defined enough to make it appear like reflections on the ripples of the water. As you can see in the close-ups, the picture is more detailed than the larger one above seems, which is due in part to it's large size (36" x 50"). The deep blues, greens, and blacks give this painting a subtile but powerful presence against a traditonal white wall. Although it uses these dark colors the yellows, whites, lighter greens and oranges of the reflected lights, land and stars give it a great balance. It is physically dark without being "emotionally dark" - giving it a romantic as oppossed to depressing feeling.
As this was intended to be my personal copy rather than a true "reproduction" of the original, I took a bit of artistic liscense with it. For example, I wanted to bring the couple more into the foreground and tone it a bit darker than the version pictured below. I have become much more familiar with using oil paints since this first one was painted and as such I am looking forward to painting it again, this time remaining more faithful to Van Gogh's. |
