Whistler was not the only Impressionist to “paint the night� (Pennell 112). Two of van Gogh’s most famous works, Starry Night over the Rhone and Starry Night, share a similar nocturnal theme. Furthermore, both Van Gogh’s “starry nights� and Whistler’s “moonlights� were heavily influenced by the artistic styles of Japan. However, they remain remarkably distinct by reason of the very different motivations of their creators.
Like Whistler, van Gogh’s Japanese influences had a profound effect on his night paintings. He was heavily involved in the Japonisme that swept Europe in the 1850s and 1860s. Also a collector of Japanese ukiyoe woodcuts, his artistic style was similarly influenced by Hiroshige, for instance, making careful studies of Hiroshige’s Rain Shower on Ohashi. Furthermore, Grove Art Online reports that, like Whistler, “it was the effects of color and perspective that especially attracted [van Gogh’s] attention…[as well as] the simplicity, linear forms, and flat areas of color found in these Japanese prints� (“van Gogh�). These influences are clearly manifest in van Gogh’s night paintings, Starry Night over the Rhone and Starry Night, created during the late 1880s. Even with the hills in the background of Starry Night, the landscape shows little depth. Additionally, both paintings demonstrate the strong horizontals characteristic of Japanese prints. Yet most important is the binary color scheme – blue and gold – of the pieces, which is an unmistakable parallel with the night paintings of Whistler and Hiroshige. In fact, it is likely that both Whistler and van Gogh initially experimented with “painting the night� as a result of Hiroshige’s influence.
However, though van Gogh and Whistler were similarly motivated by Japanese artistic styles, van Gogh’s night paintings are profoundly emotional, setting them apart from Whistler’s “moonlights,� which are purely aesthetic. According to Grove Art Online, they are widely understood to have “strong religious overtones, and the swirling stars of the sky have sometimes been interpreted as an image of the artist’s equally tormented soul� (“van Gogh�). Thus, while in creating his “moonlights� Whistler wished to “indicate an artistic interest alone� (qtd. Ono 72), van Gogh’s “starry nights� were an emotional outlet. This is perhaps the reason why Whistler’s and van Gogh’s paintings, both of the night and both influenced by Hiroshige, appear so very different. Van Gogh’s works are swirling, his brushstrokes careening across the canvas, while Whistler’s “moonlights� are subdued, muted, and harmonious.
That Whistler’s “moonlights� and van Gogh’s “starry nights� can appear so different while both representing adaptations of Hiroshige’s style testifies to the profound effect of the identity of the artist on his creation. It is impossible to say which artist has better adapted the Japanese style or who has done a better job of “painting the night.� Through this channel, both have made an equally important and equally valid statement.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Rain Shower on Ohashi, 1887.
Hiroshige, Utagawa. Rain Shower on Ohashi, 1887.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night, 1889.
Van Gogh, Vincent. Starry Night Over the Rhone, 1888.