Paul Cézanne’s The Card Players & Van Gogh’s Starry Night
The Card Players, Paul Cézanne
Classification of the Work
Figurative painting, oil on canvas, 0.47 x 0.57 meters.
Composition of the Work
Two characters sit around a table covered with a red carpet, with a bottle of wine. Both players wear hats and smoke pipes. The figures are likely friends of the painter. The composition is framed at the level of the players’ seats, and the bottle between them marks the composition almost symmetrically. The balanced distribution converts the viewer into one of the frequent observers who frequent these taverns.
The technique of color filling is extraordinarily rich. The color application base comprises fluid brushstrokes that recall Cézanne’s statement that everything in nature is modeled according to the cylinder area. The light is distributed evenly throughout the picture. It is artificial light, as it corresponds to an interior, in contrast to the Impressionism that Cézanne departed from by obtaining volume with color.
Thematic Content
In Flemish and Dutch art, the card game was part of the tavern scene. Some scholars have pointed out that the characters symbolize the artist himself and his father.
Antecedents and Consequences of the Work
Possible sources of inspiration for Cézanne’s The Card Players were paintings by Le Nain and Chardin. The daily treatment had no precedent in France. Chardin portrayed a more self-absorbed, contemplative world, capturing a moment in motion.
Stylistic Language
This work belongs to the so-called Post-Impressionism. Authors agree to include a number of painters who are crucial to the transformation of art. Neo-Impressionism is basically a reaction to Impressionism. Responses to this need will differ according to trends such as Pointillism. In any case, they take advantage of advances in views on the color theory of the subjects. Van Gogh is considered the precursor of Expressionism, Cézanne of Cubism, and Gauguin of Fauvism.
Identification of the Work and Author
Paul Cézanne was born into a wealthy family. His painting practice is the result of a complex intellect. His painting became a bridge between two visions: Impressionism and Cubism. In contrast to Van Gogh, he reduced the chromatic components of painting and enriched the volumetric treatment. If an object is located in space by the relationship of the many colored facets, it will no longer be entirely defined. His most famous works are Mont Sainte-Victoire, L’Estaque, and The Bathers.
Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh
Classification of the Work
Realistic painting, oil on canvas, 0.73 x 0.92 meters.
Composition of the Work
In the night landscape, we can distinguish some trees, and to the right is a small village. The painting is divided into two parts: the starry sky and the village. The depth is achieved primarily by the color planes. The feeling of space is not given through perspective. The painter took into account how the size composition was handled. This allows for a more dynamic and repetitive relationship between the moon and the stars. The coloring is vivid and arbitrary. Each star is equipped with a different colored light. This is accomplished with lots of brushstrokes.
Thematic Content
Van Gogh was especially attracted to the night. The light of the moon and stars gave life to a still, sleeping landscape. The night in this work takes on an entirely subjective quality. Oversized stars struggle among themselves to discuss the preeminence of the moonlight. Nature envelops everything. The young man who leaves the scene suggests the mystical and profound sense of the artist. The cypress is reliant; this painting symbolizes a kind of mystic trance, an elevation to the astral.
Stylistic Language Ascribed to the Work
This work belongs to the so-called Post-Impressionism. Multiple trends and styles are encompassed, continuing to use colors. It becomes a melting pot of different techniques and objectives that respond to the concerns of different artists. The work was characterized by an expressive use of color. Artists set this trend, continuing the approaches that opened new avenues.
Antecedents and Consequences of the Work
In this work, a line based on spirals dominates the sky and foreground. The cypress contour lines of the buildings are marked with thick lines of dark tones. Purple and yellow are common to all works.
Location and Context
Southern France. An industrial revolution existed that had led to a bourgeoisie. The industrial bourgeoisie strengthened its economic power and social development in big business. In this scenario, the landed aristocracy was shifted. A movement arose as a result, idealizing rural life and defending freedom of expression.
Identification of the Work and Author
In the landscape of Post-Impressionism, Vincent van Gogh is a special case. Although he was linked to the Neo-Impressionists, Van Gogh had a brilliant career, basically starting by self-studying in Antwerp. He expressed and released himself through paint, like a modern art, by feeling and expression, translating life rather than the outward appearance of things with colors. His works include Wheatfield with Crows and Sunflowers.