Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh: Emotion Conveyed Through Nature

Essay by cocoletzi16College, UndergraduateA-, December 2013

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Miguel Lopez

Art History 3

Professor Ming

October 30, 2013

Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh: Emotion Conveyed Through Nature

The two Art works that captured my full attention at the Getty Museum were "Starry Night" by Edvard Munch, and "Irises" by Vincent Van Gogh. During my lectures covering the modern period, I was interested in these two artists and their techniques and looked forward to visiting the museum to witness their art up close and personal. I researched the Getty collection online to see if that was the museum I wanted to visit and decided on those two artists. I was impressed with the overall collection, and very excited to se my 1st Munch, an artist that has quickly become my one of my favorites. Although the works of Art are from different periods in time, both these artists chose to depict their emotions through nature, creating a visual experience that changes and/or enhances our moods when we experience them.

Munch's "Starry Night" is a product of German Expressionism.

It was important to know what German expressionism movement was in order for me to fully understand the message or emotions Munch tried to sent in his "Starry Night" painting. This movement began early in the 20th century as a cultural movement that began in Germany, as a reaction against aristocrats. To artists such as Munch, art was more a mind set form, expressing more individual psychological truth by using intense colors usually 3 tone colors and depict human figure semi abstract tones.

Edvard Munch painted "Starry Night" in1893. In this landscape paining he illustrates the coastline at Asgardstrand, a small beach south of Oslo in Norway. Munch tried to capture the emotions called forth by the night rather than to record its picturesque qualities as seen through...