Starry Starry Night

Started writing this blog right after visiting the Van Gogh museum, Amsterdam, while sitting on a bench overlooking a canal watching a lone boat passing by... Saturday (7th March) morning just walking by the canals watching ducks on my way to the museum gave me a very tranquil feeling (picture below was taken on the way)... Could hardly believe that this was the same city I arrived in Friday(6th) night, which was so busy and crowded with people partying till the wee hours in the morning, and clubs and nyon signs at every turn. I came to Amsterdam just for the weekend (my new city for March). Visited the major museums like Van Gogh, and Rijksmuseum, walked around the city and of course checked out the red light district. I think Europe is turning me into a real Culture Vulture!

For a long time my favourite Van Gogh painting has been Starry Night (I don;t know whether i saw the painting or the heard the song first, have always loved the song Vincent by Don McLean too). I was really lucky when i visited the museum cos they were having the 'Van Gogh and the Colours of the Night' exhibition, and had got down the 'Starry Night' painting specially for this exhibition from the Museum of Modern Art, NY. They also had the 'Starry Night on the Rhone', which is another of my favourites... There is something about the deep rich blue sky and the bright stars... This exhibition was a celebration of his dusk and night time paintings and in Vincent Van Gogh's own words he had said "It often seems to me that night is much more alive and coloured than day having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens."

Starry Night on the Rhone

Starry Night

I have always been fascinated by stars, what is it about night time that is so romantic? the stars and the moon? I guess when you stare into the night sky it all seems like a big mystery... what is out there, that feeling of anything is possible and feeling your insignificance in the grander scheme of things...