Art is in the eye of the beholder, one work of art can mean something to one person and something completely different to another. No two works of art are exactly the same, but at the same time they can have a tremendous amount of similarity in theme, style, content and design. The Regatta at Argenteuil by Claude Monet and The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh were two paintings that stuck out in my mind as I was looking through the book. Each had a unique design, different content, opposite meanings but the way they were painted was very similar. Both Monet and Van Gogh were among the greatest painters in time, their paintings have changed the way that many people look at art.
Lines are both used and manipulated in both of these works. In Van Gogh's The Starry Night there are implied lines all over his painting, but they are not the usual straight implied line that we are used to seeing. As you look at the sky and city the implied line is bent and swirled. His lines are a mix between expressive and classic lines. The sky is exploding with expressive lines, there is so much emotion and feeling in the sky that you almost feel overwhelmed as you look at it. The town on the other hand isn't as expressive. The lines are more classic and straight. Instead of incorporating the expressive lines Van Gogh uses classical lines as a strong contrast to the sky. As I gaze at this work I can't help but think that Van Gogh doesn't want the viewer to look at the city. It is so plain and uninteresting when compared to the sky.
Just like in The Starry Night, Monet uses many types of lines in The Regatta at Argernteuil. Unlike Van Gogh, Monet took a more classical approach. Almost every line that can be seen is a straight analytic line. The sails on the boats, the lines of the house, the lines of the sky and even the lines of the water are unusually flat. Monet's picture is just as powerful as Van Gogh's. Had the lines been all curvy and everywhere the effect would have been lost.
