The Starry Night, c.1889
 
Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890
 
The edges of the canvas of the Starry Night are said to represent the dimensions of Van Gogh’s bedroom window. We see the church steeple in the town below, and near to us the top of a large cypress tree. The thickly textured pigment carves out bright spaces for the stars and a glowing moon in a swirling sky, defined and exaggerated in a frenzy of paint.
 
The Starry Night Merlot comes from great terroirs located on the eastern part of the appellation, where soils are composed of silt and clay. These specifics Merlot plots are planted along the Canal du Midi. Here, the terroir is very well adapted to the Merlot varietal, as it needs regular watering and fresh nights to express itself at its best. Indeed, silt and clay tend to retain and provide enough water during the summer period. The vine-yard is also selected according to sun exposure, as Merlot needs enough sunlight to reach full ripeness.
To see the original of this image visit the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
 
The license fee’s paid to use this image help ensure that future generations are able to enjoy this work as we do today.