. ▁ ▁Gen esis ▁Van ▁G og h ▁announced ▁and ▁described ▁this ▁composition ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁brother ▁The o : ▁ ▁In ▁reality , ▁the ▁view ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁painting ▁faces ▁away ▁from ▁Urs a ▁Major , ▁which ▁is ▁to ▁the ▁north . ▁The ▁for eground ▁indicates ▁heavy ▁re work , ▁wet - in - w et , ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁was ▁finished . ▁The ▁letter ▁sketch es ▁executed ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁probably ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁original ▁composition . ▁ ▁Colors ▁of ▁the ▁night ▁The ▁challenge ▁of ▁painting ▁at ▁night ▁intr igu ed ▁van ▁G og h . ▁The ▁v antage ▁point ▁he ▁chose ▁for ▁Star ry ▁Night ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁ref lections ▁of ▁the ▁gas ▁light ing ▁in ▁Ar les ▁across ▁the ▁g lim mer ing ▁blue ▁water ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ône . ▁In ▁the ▁for eground , ▁two ▁lo vers ▁st roll ▁by ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁Dep ict ing ▁color ▁was ▁of ▁great ▁importance ▁to ▁Vincent ; ▁in ▁letters ▁to ▁his ▁brother , ▁The o , ▁he ▁often ▁described ▁objects ▁in ▁his ▁paint ings ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁color . ▁His ▁night ▁paint ings , ▁including ▁Star ry ▁Night , ▁emphas ize ▁the ▁importance ▁he ▁placed ▁on ▁capt uring ▁the ▁spark ling ▁colors ▁of ▁the ▁night ▁sky ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁artificial ▁light ing ▁that ▁was ▁new ▁to ▁the ▁era . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bo ime , ▁Albert : ▁Van ▁G og h ' s ▁Star ry ▁Night