Astronomers pinpoint the night sky that inspired Van Gogh's Starry Night

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 16:44 · Archive

Researchers say the celestial bodies in The Starry Night match the dawn sky of 22 July 1889.

Astronomers have identified the specific night sky that inspired Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night, settling a long-standing debate about whether the painting depicts imagination or reality. A team of Korean researchers determined that the celestial arrangement matches the dawn sky of 22 July 1889, when the waning crescent moon, Venus and the Hyades star cluster in Taurus would have been visible together. Van Gogh was living at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole mental asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence at the time, having admitted himself in May following a serious mental breakdown.

The new dating challenges the traditional June date, which rested on a letter Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo describing 'a new study of a starry sky' and on assumptions about a mental crisis in July that supposedly left him unable to paint. The researchers argue these assumptions were based on the belief that the painting's celestial arrangement could not have matched any real sky in June. By moving the date to July, they show the positioning of the moon, Venus and star cluster could have been observed from Van Gogh's asylum window.

To support their findings, the researchers identified a ridge south-west of the asylum and matched it to an earlier sketch by Van Gogh, demonstrating he drew a surprisingly narrow slice of the actual landscape. The painting is thus an exaggerated reality rather than pure fantasy.

How it is being reported

• Scientists find surprise astronomical revelation in Van Gogh painting‘The Starry Night’ does not depict the stars we thought, scientists say – and therefore might have been made on a different nightIndependent Tech · 22 Oct, 17:03
• Scientists pinpoint the exact sky that inspired Van Gogh's The Starry NightVincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night is one of the most iconic works of art ever produced - and now experts have discovered what the painting really shows.Daily Mail · 22 Oct, 16:29
• Astronomers challenge dating of Van Gogh’s Starry NightStudy suggests much-loved work was based on a real dawn sky in July 1889 rather than just the artist’s rich imagination It was long assumed to be a product of Vincent van Gogh’s rich imagination – but scientific sleuthing now suggests The Starry Night may be based on a real dawn sky. Researchers say the celestial bodies depicted in the famous painting match the sky the Dutch artist may have seen on about 22 July 1889, a month later than the usual date given for the work. Continue reading...The Guardian · 22 Oct, 16:00

In this story: Vincent van Gogh · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence · Saint-Paul-de-Mausole

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