The starry sky painted by night, actually under a gas jet. The sky is aquamarine, the water is royal blue, the ground is mauve. The town is blue and purple. The gas is yellow and the reflections are russet gold descending down to green-bronze. On the aquamarine field of the sky the Great Bear is a sparkling green and pink, whose discreet paleness contrasts with the brutal gold of the gas. Two colourful figurines of lovers in the foreground.
- Vincent van Gogh, describing this painting in a letter to his brother Theo.
The effect of the stars is greatly reduced here due to the limited depth of field, but that puts the focus on the foreground elements and the reflections on the rippling water come through beautifully.
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