Van Gogh was seeking respite from plaguing depression at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy in southern France when he painted The Starry Night. It reflects his direct observations of his view of the countryside from his window as well as the memories and emotions this view evoked in him.

What is the idea of The Starry Night painting?

This tree serves to connect earth and sky and this could reflect the artists own thoughts about death - that death is the destination of lifes journey. Thus, Starry Night appears to represent van Gogh's ongoing concern with death and the afterlife and he says: "Looking at the stars always makes me dream.

Why did van Gogh paint night scenes?

Van Gogh saw the night as a period of reflection and meditation after a day of activity, says MoMA curatorial assistant Jennifer Field, one of the organizers of the exhibition. "It was also this kind of metaphor for the cycle of life.