Van Gogh Starry Night Chiffon Scarf

DESIGNER'S NOTES

This exciting Fox & Chave silk chiffon scarf features an element in deep blues and golden yellows from the painting The Starry Night (1889) by the post-impressionist Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890).

The intensity of the brushstrokes and strong contrasting colours used to depict a swirling night sky alive stars and clouds over a quiet village, with a prominent cypress tree in the foreground, convey strong emotion and depict a sense of energy, reflecting van Gogh's unique artistic style.

The composition echoes the influence of Asian art, and Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e), which van Gogh admired and collected. In particular, the obvious echo of the work The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1831) by Hokusai.

The village depicted in The Starry Night is based on Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, in southern France. He painted the scene from his room at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, where he was committed for treatment in 1889. His vantage point was from his second-floor bedroom window in the asylum, facing east.

However, the view isn't an exact representation of the village or the landscape, but a blend of reality and Van Gogh's imagination, combining observed elements, like the rolling hills and the cypress tree with his own interpretation. Notably, the church spire, which is more reminiscent of those in his native Netherlands.

This combination of observation and imagination reflects the emotional intensity and dreamlike quality of the painting.

COLOURS

STYLING

There are many ways to style a Fox & Chave chiffon silk scarf including the basic drape, belted drape and reverse drape. Our chiffon silk scarfs look really good worn in the bandit knot or faux infinity style too. More scarf styling ideas are available in this wonderful How to Tie a Scarf book.