6/17/2019 Marissa Dow - Ekphrastic Poetry Final Assessment - Google Docs

Ekphrastic Poetry Final Assessment

Terrace of a café at night (Place du Forum)

Marissa Dow
Keith Newvine
AP Literature and Composition
March 15, 2019

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Family and Childhood

Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland on March 30, 1853. He had two brothers

and three sisters, and he was named after his older brother who was stillborn. In

addition, Van Gogh’s father was a very religious man and his mother was an artist

(“Vincent Van Gogh” [Biography.com]). When Van Gogh was 16 he worked in an art

gallery but soon left to become a missionary, and when he grew tired of the church's

judgment, he left to become an artist (“Vincent Van Gogh” [Artble]).

Adulthood and Last Years

Vincent Van Gogh struggled with mental illness throughout his adult life, and he

made many drastic decisions because of this. In 1888, Van Gogh cut his ear off and

gave it to a prostitute as a gift. Two years after this incident, Van Gogh shot himself. In his

career he created over 2000 works but received little to no recognition until after his

death (“Vincent Van Gogh.” Artble).

Before his death, Van Gogh checked himself into a psychiatric institute. His main

focus became nature, and his productivity skyrocketed. It was in this institute where he

painted the famous Starry Night (“Vincent Van Gogh.” Artble).

Van Gogh's brother, Theo, was a huge part of his life and supported him despite

his struggle as an artist. Theo was Van Gogh’s art dealer and did everything he could to

keep him sane and safe. He even named his son after his beloved brother (“Vincent Van

Gogh.” Biography.com).

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Technique and Influences

Vincent Van Gogh was a unique artist in his time. In 1885 Van Gogh attended the

Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He was inspired by the brushwork of a man named

Peter Paul Rubens, and his style can be seen in Van Gogh's paintings (“Vincent Van

Gogh Biography, Life & Quotes” ). Another huge influence of his technique and style

came from his time in Paris. There he developed a love for bright vivid colors because of

the Impressionist artists (“Vincent Van Gogh.” Artble).

Analysis of Terrace of a café at night

This painting portrays a cafe night scene with people milling about under a starry

sky. In the cafe there is a man in white that seems to be talking to the people around him.

Van Gogh could have painted this man to represent Jesus. This symbol is likely due to

the fact that Van Gogh himself was a missionary and his father was a minister. Other

religious symbols include multiple crosses hidden throughout the painting. There is a

cross of light above the horse and carriage, and there is a cross in the window frame

behind the figure in white.

This painting is made up of blue and yellow, the yellow being bright and vivid and

the blue being rich and dark. This color choice is most likely due to Van Gogh’s time in

Paris where he started experimenting with more colors. This color choice, however, is

odd for a nighttime scene. Most people think of night as being black, but Van Gogh didn’t

use the color black at all in this painting. The reasoning behind this color choice can be

understood by reading a quote directly from the artist. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “I

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often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day,” and there is

no better explanation for his decisions in this painting that his own words.

Analysis of Lantern

I created a lantern for this project because of the lantern seen hanging in the cafe.

The lantern has 12 holes cut out to represent the 12 disciples. I made this choice

because in the painting there are people surrounding the man in white that is assumed

to represent Jesus. I chose to make the holes circles because both the tables in the

foreground and the stars in the background are circles. There is also a hole cut out in the

shape of a cross to mimic the cross of light in the background of the painting.

I chose to paint my lantern instead of glazing it to give it the same rough and

uneven brushstroke that Van Gogh paints with. I used mostly yellow and blue to mimic

Van Gogh’s color choice. I painted the top blue with stars to represent the sky and used

different shades of yellow on the bottom to represent the cafe.

The lantern is illuminated by a strand of lights inside for a few different reasons.

The first is that the cross in the painting shines; Therefore I, wanted this cross to do the

same. The third and most important reason I added lights to this lantern is to bring it to

life. Everywhere in this painting there is a soft warm glow, and I wanted my lantern to

have the same effect.

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Works Cited

“Vincent Van Gogh.” Artble, 19 July 2017, www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh.

“Vincent Van Gogh.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 5 Feb. 2019,

www.biography.com/people/vincent-van-gogh-9515695.

“Vincent Van Gogh Biography, Life & Quotes.” The Art Story,

www.theartstory.org/artist-van-gogh-vincent-life-and-legacy.htm.

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