Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter, and he created nearly 2,100 artworks in just a decade, including around 860 oil paintings, most from the last two years of his life. Even today, after so many years, he is well known for his unique bold colours and expressive brushwork, especially in paintings like The Starry Night.He struggled with poverty and severe depression and was not a commercial success in his lifetime. Today he is one of the most influential figures in Western art.Apart from his works of art, he wrote lengthy letters to his brother Theo describing his state of mind, which contain meaningful messages that are relevant even today.One of them is what we discuss here.Have you ever stepped outside on a quiet night, looked up, and felt your worries go small? Most of us have. For a moment, the deadlines, the arguments, and the endless clutter of the mind fade, and something older and calmer takes their place. That curious moment humbles and inspires us; this is what Van Gogh discusses.People have been feeling this for as long as there have been people. Our ancestors told stories about the stars, steered ships by them, planted crops by them, and wondered who they were in the middle of all that darkness. Today we carry the whole world in our pockets, yet the sky still has the power to stop us mid-step.Let us dig in to find out the deeper message conveyed in Van Gogh’s words.
Quote of the day
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream
Vincent Van Gogh
What does the quote mean?
At first glance, this line is just a quiet thought about the night sky. It is only when we dig deeper that we find out it carries two ideas side by side. One is humility, as Van Gogh admits that he cannot be sure of anything. The other is awe and wonder, the inspiration, through the stars, that set his imagination moving. He is not praising ignorance. He is saying that not knowing can open a door instead of closing one.
Where do his words come from?
These words come from a letter to his brother Theo, written in Arles around 1888, which is numbered 638 in the Van Gogh Letters project.He asked whether life is fully visible to us, or whether we only see one side of it before death. He then said the stars make him dream in the same simple way as the black dots representing towns on a map. However, his letters were written in French, so every English version is a translation. The wording changes from one version to the next, but the essence has remained the same for decades now.
How are his words relevant today?
Today, we expect an answer, a response, or an opinion from everyone quickly, but Van Gogh’s idea permits us to say “I’m not sure” and still feel hopeful, which is a healthy habit in a world of loud certainty and endless information.It must be noted that earlier generations could see the night sky in far greater splendour than we can today, and that something was lost along the way. Light pollution and screens keep many of us from looking up at all. A short walk away from bright lights, even once a month, can bring that feeling back.And just like Van Gogh kept finding beauty and inspiration even after his depression, we must too.