Scientists turn art detectives to date van Gogh's 'Starry Night' to actual sky from 1889
Summary
Researchers from South Korea have used astronomy to find a new likely date for Vincent van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night." They matched the stars and moon in the painting to the early morning sky over Saint-Remy-de-Provence on or around July 22, 1889, instead of the previously thought June 1889.Key Facts
- "The Starry Night" shows a crescent moon and Venus in a sky with swirling stars.
- Art historians usually dated the painting to June 1889, soon after van Gogh entered an asylum in France.
- The South Korean research team used forensic astronomy to compare the painting to real skies from 1889.
- Their study found the moon phase and star positions better match July 22, 1889.
- The team is led by Elijah Jeong-hyun Kim, a doctoral candidate and CEO of a telescope company.
- Weather data and van Gogh’s letters support the July dating, including references to cicadas common in summer.
- Some experts see the July date as a strong new possibility but not a final answer.
- The research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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