Vincent van Gogh Looking Up, Guy Looking Up or Willem Dafoe Staring at the Sky, the meme is commonly used whenever someone is nervously watching something happen above them or waiting for an inevitable disaster to arrive. The expression is dramatic enough to be funny, which helped the format spread far beyond its original movie scene.
The Origin of the Meme
The meme comes from the 2018 biographical drama At Eternity’s Gate, a film about the final years of famous painter Vincent van Gogh. In one scene, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, van Gogh looks upward with an overwhelmed and emotional expression. The shot appeared in the movie’s trailer released in September 2018 and immediately stood out because of its dramatic visual impact.
For a while, the scene remained just another movie moment. It wasn’t until 2020 that internet users began turning it into a reaction GIF. Early versions appeared on iFunny, where users paired the clip with humorous captions describing situations involving fear, confusion, or watching something strange happen overhead.
As more users reposted the GIF, the template escaped iFunny and spread to Reddit, X, Instagram, TikTok, and meme pages across the internet. By 2024, it had become one of the most recognizable reaction memes featuring Willem Dafoe.
| Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme Name | Willem Dafoe Looking Up |
| Also Known As | Vincent van Gogh Looking Up, Guy Looking Up Meme |
| Source | At Eternity’s Gate (2018) |
| Actor | Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh |
| Meme Type | Reaction Image and GIF Caption Meme |
| First Appearance | Film trailer released September 2018 |
| Meme Popularity | Began spreading on iFunny in May 2020 |
| Common Meaning | Looking at something above, anxiety, confusion, anticipation, fear, or amazement |
| Popular Formats | GIF captions, reaction images, screenshot memes |
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What Does the Meme Mean?
The meme is usually used in a very literal way. The character is looking upward, so captions often describe a person watching something above them. However, the expression on Dafoe’s face adds another layer of meaning.
Depending on the caption, the image can represent:
- Fear or anxiety
- Waiting for something bad to happen
- Confusion about a strange situation
- Being overwhelmed by a huge event
- Curiosity mixed with concern
- Amazement at something unbelievable
The flexibility of the expression is one reason the meme has remained relevant. It can fit serious jokes, absurd humor, niche internet references, and everyday situations.
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Why People Relate to It
Many reaction memes succeed because they capture emotions people recognize instantly. Willem Dafoe’s upward stare looks intense without being overly specific. Viewers can project their own thoughts onto the image.
Someone watching a storm roll in, waiting for exam results, hearing a strange noise from upstairs, or seeing a giant object overhead could all be represented by the same image. That universal feeling of uncertainty is what makes the meme so effective.
Spread Across Social Media
After gaining popularity on iFunny, the meme quickly moved to larger platforms. Meme creators began using both the animated GIF and the still image version. Some edits added captions, while others inserted objects or characters above Dafoe’s gaze.
The format became especially popular in communities that enjoy surreal and niche humor. Because the expression is dramatic yet neutral enough for many contexts, creators constantly find new ways to adapt it.
The meme has even appeared in references outside traditional meme culture, showing how deeply it has become embedded in internet humor.
The meme originated from the 2018 film At Eternity’s Gate, where Willem Dafoe portrayed the famous painter Vincent van Gogh.
In the original movie scene, the character is looking upward during an emotional moment. Internet users later repurposed the image as a reaction meme for various humorous situations.
The meme can represent anxiety, curiosity, confusion, anticipation, fear, surprise or being overwhelmed by a situation.