The Starry Night – on canvas and in lyrics

The Starry Night – on canvas and in lyrics

Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, painted from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise in 1889 is one of the most familiar paintings of the Dutch artist. ‘Starry, Starry Night’ is the first line American folk rock musician, Don McLean’s song composed in 1971, the title of which is “Vincent”.

Starry, starry night

Paint your palette blue and grey

Look out on a summer’s day

With eyes that know the darkness in my soul

So the story goes, McLean composed the song during his stay in the apartment of Edie Sedgewick, a well-known model and socialite in the 60s who was a muse of Andy Warhol. McLean, sitting on the veranda, discovered a book about Vincent Van Gogh and was enthralled. He empathized with Van Gogh who, during the painting of The Starry Night, was struggling with depression.

Now I think I know

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

How you tried to set them free

The Guardian newspaper reported in July this year, the original handwritten lyrics of Don McLean’s tribute to Van Gogh, ‘Vincent’, went up for sale with an asking price of $1.5m.

The film ‘Loving Vincent’, which includes ‘Vincent’ in its soundtrack, will screen this month at River City’s FORUM on the 2nd floor. There are three screenings: 2 p.m. Saturday 17 October, 2 p.m. Saturday 24 October at 2 p.m. and 2pm Saturday 31 October at 2 p.m.