Starry Night is one of the world’s most famous paintings. Is Van Gogh’s masterpiece AESTHETIC or DERIVATIVE? It is definitely visually pleasing and thus an AESTHETIC work of art. It can also be argued that Starry Night is DERIVATIVE because it draws upon Impressionism’s emphasis upon using visible brushstrokes to capture a fleeting moment. It can thus be contended that Starry Night is both AESTHETIC and DERIVATIVE.
On SAT vocabulary in context questions context is everything! A recent question discussing art forced students to choose between AESTHETIC and DERIVATIVE. Many students fell for the trap of associating art with the word AESTHETIC. But the lengthy passage ultimately stated that all art “draws upon what has already been created by others.” This key phrase clearly supports DERIVATIVE as the most precise answer.
DERIVATIVE – drawing upon pre-existing sources
AESTHETIC – visually pleasing and beautiful