A Perfect Place - Virtual Starry Night

There is no arguing that Second Life is a metaverse created by artists, builders, designers and visionaries and some of the most breathtaking sims are tributes to the brilliant artists that were also ahead of their time. Virtual Starry Night is Second Life's Van Gogh exhibit and is well worth planning several hours and several trips to work your way through it. The museum is self guided, with lines to follow and clear signs, the separate areas are well marked and each painting has the title, year and museum where the original resides shown. The exhibit is divided into different areas such as landscapes, still lifes and portraits, but you can tour the whole building from any starting point.

Throughout the tour there are signs bearing facts about Van Gogh's life and times and many of the exhibits have information stations that give notecards about the specific work or group of works. As an example, the card for "Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel (1888)" (above left) reads:

Vincent almost never painted himself as an artist. Most of his self portraits are painted in a more sketchy way and show only his face.

This painting shows much more detail and was signed by the artist prominently, which means that he was quite pleased with it.

Wonderful as all this is, it is not the best part of the sim. If looking at paintings isn't really your thing, Second Life makes it possible to step *into* the art through special 3D painting exhibits. I pulled out my gorgeous Katrine dress by Ivalde with its Victorian bustle and bodice so that I could stroll the cafes and courtyards of the 3D rendered paintings in period style. I thought the clean black and white detailing of the dress provided a marvelous contrast to the bold colors of the paintings. How fabulous is it to be able to look at and read about "The Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles" (center right and lower left) where Van Gogh took his meals and then to step into and walk about the cafe as seen through his eyes?

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While you are visiting Virtual Starry Night, be sure to walk through the Yellow House as well - it hosts a mini-exhibit of Gaugain's works from his time in Arles with Van Gogh.