Starry Night

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh

Starry night is painted by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh. Although Van Gogh only sold one of his paintings, the ratings on the painting were huge. Starry Night is one of the well-known paintings in modern culture. It is also one of the paintings that are copied the most. Van Gogh painted Starry Night while in an Asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889. This painting has been hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1941. In September 1888, before his “December Breakdown”, he painted this while standing outside, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out how he could put his own twist on the night sky. In mid-September 1889, he thought to include Starry Night in the next bundle of works to be sent to his brother, Theo, in Paris. He only sent 3 of his artworks, including Starry Night. These 3 went to Paris. He later regretted every painting Starry Night. Van Gogh was not happy with his painting. In a letter he wrote to his brother, he said the canvas is a study without the effect of what the other of his paintings have. He also said that the stars and clouds were exaggerations, “their lines are warped as that of old wood”.

Mona Lisa



"Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci

Mona Lisa illustrated by the Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci is the most famous painting in the world. It is owned by the French government and it hanging in Louvre in Paris. This painting is most famous for the expression on the woman’s face described as “enigmatic”, or mysterious.. If this painting was sold, it would be the most expensive painting ever sold in the world. It took about 16 years to finish this painting for it was working on from 1503-1519. Da Vinci started the painting in 1503 in Florence, Italy. It is known that unusual behavior is common in most of the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, so he later regretted ever completing a single piece of work. He then thought to complete Mona Lisa when he took it to France before he died in 1519. Mona Lisa is named from Lisa Del Giocondo, the wife of the very wealthy silk merchant. Some people believed that the famous half-smile on the painting was a recovered memory of Da Vinci’s mother, or Leonardo his self. The paintings increasing fame led it to be stolen on August 21 1911. The day after it was stolen, a famous painter went to the place where Mona Lisa has been on display for 5 years. When he saw that the painting was gone, he contacted the guards, who thought it was being photographed for marketing purposes. When the head security of the museum confirmed that Mona Lisa was not with the photographers, the Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid in the investigation of the theft. A French poet, who had once called the Louvre to be “burnt down”, came under suspicion. He was arrested and put in jail.