- HUM FPX 1150 Assessment 1 Cultural Artifact Analysis
Cultural Artifact Analysis
Vincent van Gogh’s painting Starry Night is the artefact selected for the analysis of this report. This masterpiece was painted in 1889 and remains part of the most recognized paintings in the history of the Art West The painting of Starry Night was done by Vincent Van Gogh who was then in a mental home in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. The painting shows the whirling night sky over the village in heavy slumber, the painting is made with Oil on Canvas and this kind of painting shows the bold and vibrant colors and vigorous line and brushwork.
Three reasons to choose this piece are: it is a painting and painting is an amazing kind of art that is rich in color and can evoke various emotions. For me who has long been interested in art and ways the artists can exhibit their emotions and perceivable humanness, the painting has been an interesting portrayal of how the artist is able to capture the mood and event of a stormy night and reproduce it in simple but easy to interpretational artwork. My additional interest in the relation between art and psychology also played a part in my decision since Van Gogh suffered from mental illnesses and they can be observed in his paintings. Starry Night also addresses such allegory by capturing the core human emotions, which is the reason I love this piece and is perfect for this cultural analysis.
One’s Reactions to the Artifact
When for the first time I looked at The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, I saw the movement, which is created by swirling colors flowing through the night sky. The painting in question was painted in 1889 and therefore is an embodiment of post-impressionist art which is famous for its strong focus on the association and profound expressiveness of the art pieces. This artwork was done using oils on canvas media with thick application of paint bringing about the impressionistic style that characterized the impressionists such as Van Gogh.
In the painting, twirls are obtained in the sky as well as in the grassland below and thus portrays a feeling of turbulence and a daze which may represent the state of mind of Van Gogh when painting the picture. The brushed blue and yellow hues used coupled with the highly amplified feature of the stars in the art piece denotes an almost surreal canopy that instead warms my heart; To me, the raw talent of evoking deep sentiment through color and form is where the potency of the artwork lies and each time I look at it, it stirs the feeling in me again (Jones, 2020).
Historical and Artistic Contexts
Starry Night was created in the last year of this great artist’s life when he was in an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. This was a period in which van Gogh had psychological problems, which are illustrated in the painting as well as obsession with the stars. The historical setting of the particular period of the late nineteenth century was characterized by major transformations in the art world with the coming of the post-impressionism movement that aimed at depicting the vividness and feelings of individuals instead of depicting things as they are.
A good example is The Starry Night by Van Gogh which real TE can be seen in the departure from realism to releasing the artist’s feelings out in form and colors. The elaborate and rich spirals on his paintings are as many aesthetic decisions as they are the artist’s feelings and passion for the artistry of nature. The artistic context of the painting is also widened through the use of impasto by van Gogh where a lot of paint is applied to form a new layer of texture; this kind of work intensifies the emotional aspect of the given painting (Smith, 2021).
Meaning of the Artifact
Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is one of those masterpieces that can be considered as the reflection of the state of the artist’s soul and his vision of the universe. Painted in the asylum of Saint-Rémy at the end of 1889, this painting is an echo of the torment that was brewing its author and the attraction that he felt for the night as the embodiment of the beauty and the storm. The active and complex lines along with vivid enough and almost hypnotizing colors also represent some movements and emotions that correspond to van Gogh’s instability.
HUM FPX 1150 Assessment 1 Cultural Artifact Analysis
Finally, the context of the late nineteenth century when post-impressionism developed to some extent helped van Gogh to free himself from the representation of reality without experience and with the help of color and brushwork to recreate his experience and emotions. He employs impasto in his painting which brings out the texture of the painting; the movement of the painting forces an almost tangible feeling of the turmoil portrayed in the night sky.
The bizarre and almost surrealistic treatment of the stars and the tree in the foreground is a representation of the mental condition that the artist is experiencing, which poses the question of the symbiotic relationship of the artist’s mind with his surroundings. Thus, Starry Night is not only a piece of painting on canvas that only can be admired on the aesthetic level, but it also becomes a far-reaching and heartrending psychological analysis of the artist and humanity as a part of Aeons-old struggle with one’s soul and the heavens above and beyond (Jones, 2020).
Two Cultural Values
Several cultural values regarding the painting are apparent, most importantly, the value of emotion and human being in nature. First of all, it captures the aspect of the emotional gaunt. Van Gogh has again chosen painful colors and energetic strokes to depict both, his suffering and his effort to tell more emotional side of himself through his painting This is generally linked to the growing focus of the post-impressionists on the proclamation of personal and especially emotional experience, as opposed to the purely realistic approach.
Secondly, Starry Night also raises the importance of the culture about the relationship between people and nature in the people’s mind. The painting represents the night sky beautifully but grand and at the same time terrifying showing respect to mother nature and at the same time indicating that mother nature can play with our emotions. The twirling motion of the sky and the large cypress tree represents the relationship of human involvement with nature and art as a reflection of the culture’s depth of understanding towards embracing natural forces into existence and emotions. In these elements, van Gogh draws the attention of the viewers to ponder their position on nature and the role it plays as the source of the emotional and psychological struggles (Smith, 2021).
Culture Shapes One’s Perspectives and Impacts
Looking back at Starry Night, one can realize how much cultural setting impacts one’s view and perception of artworks. Personal background and particular cultural experience including familiarization with the trends of modern art abstracts in most cases contributed to my appreciation of Van Gogh’s emotional response to the color and shape of the subjects. Being a part of a culture that encourages emotional expression I easily relate to Van Gogh’s emotional suffering as well as his dramatic approach to painting.
HUM FPX 1150 Assessment 1 Cultural Artifact Analysis
Thus, adopting the cultural lens I am capable of establishing an appeal based on my emotions; I appreciate the efforts made by the artist to depict his feelings and states inside. On the other hand, people of different cultures who have different perceptions or value systems about art will view the painting differently. For instance, living in cultures that appreciate order and proportion in everything, one is likely to be shocked by the messy brush strokes and bold hues of Van Gogh’s work.
This difference in interpretation goes to show how culture determines the connotation we assign to any artwork; recognizing the fact that other people may have different cultural decoding of art will therefore be invaluable in giving extra appreciation to artwork such as Starry Night. In doing so, I get a better understanding of how different experiences and beliefs inform our perceptions of cultural objects and the significance that can be derived from them (Jones, 2020).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the painting ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh can be considered an interesting revelation of the state of the mind and social morality at the end of the nineteenth century. Due to its highly contrasting and expressive painting style, the artwork depicts the intense pain the artist used to undergo while painting it and at the same time shows how human beings are in a symbiotic relationship with nature. The conditions of post-impressionism led to van Gogh develop new methods of artwork and emotions regarding his state of mind rather than portraying reality.
Virtually every facet of this artifact provides insights into how and why cultural considerations matter all at once: the nature of the medium, the values expressed by the artist and their audience, and the reactions to this artwork all bear the stamp of cultural influence, both in terms of how the piece is created and how it is experienced by myself, who is guided and governed by my cultural assumptions as a receiver of this work It must be noted that identifying such instructions is not only useful for a better perception of works of art but also helps to develop an understanding of the existence of other people’s opinions.
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