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New study traces van Gogh’s famed ‘Starry Night’ to an actual night sky from 1889
Astronomical simulations and weather records place the painting’s crescent moon, Venus and Hyades cluster in alignment with dawn on that date.
- On Thursday, a South Korean research team led by Elijah Jeong-hyun Kim, PhD candidate at Kyung Hee University and CEO of SLLAB, reported that Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" depicts the predawn sky over Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, on July 22, 1889.
- Traditionally, historians dated the work to June 1889 based on a letter Van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo, around June 18. Researchers instead used astronomical simulations and historical weather records to argue the celestial alignment matches July conditions better.
- The analysis identifies a waning crescent moon, Venus, and the Hyades star cluster in the constellation Taurus visible before dawn on July 22. Frequent mentions of cicadas in Van Gogh's letters further corroborate the hotter July weather conditions.
- Jose Luis Aragon of the National Autonomous University of Mexico called the date an "intriguing hypothesis" rather than settled fact. Researchers argue the painting reflects observations Van Gogh made from his asylum window, challenging the established chronology.
- Kim hopes these findings prompt a renewed, multidisciplinary look at Van Gogh's working methods and movements during that summer. The team plans to continue analyzing other night sky paintings to uncover more about the artist's creative process.
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Study suggests that the sky represented by Van Gogh corresponds to what could be observed on July 22, 1889. The researchers crossed astronomy, mathematics, meteorology and letters of the painter.
·Lisboa, Portugal
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Was Van Gogh's Starry Night inspired by a real astronomical event?
Researchers led by South Korean scientist Elijah Jeong-hyun Kim argue that Vincent van Gogh's painting may show the Taurus constellation rather than Aries, challenging the accepted timeline of the impressionist masterpiece.
·Lyon, France
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The painting Starry Night was painted while the artist was in a 'mental hospital'
·Copenhagen, Denmark
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Total News Sources273
Leaning Left45Leaning Right41Center107Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 23%
C 56%
R 21%
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