Astronomers challenge dating of Van Gogh’s Starry Night

The celestial arrangement in Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night matches the dawn sky the Dutch artist may have observed on July 22, 1889, according to new astronomical research. This challenges the long-held belief that the famous painting was purely a product of Van Gogh's imagination, suggesting instead it may be an exaggerated depiction of a real celestial event.

The traditional June 1889 dating was based on a letter Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo around June 18, describing "a new study of a starry sky," and a mental breakdown in July that was thought to have left him unable to paint for weeks. However, the researchers argue that the celestial bodies in the painting could only have been seen from Van Gogh's window at the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence asylum in late July.

Astronomical Evidence

To make their discovery, South Korean researchers identified a ridge southwest of the asylum and matched an earlier sketch by Van Gogh to the real landscape. The sketch revealed he drew a surprisingly narrow slice of the scene, which was crucial for their analysis.

The team used astronomy software to recreate the dawn sky for every day in June and July 1889. They looked for dawns where the moon sat above Venus as shown in the painting, with both fitting within the narrow frame. Only three dates qualified, with July 22 being the closest match, showing a thin crescent moon, Venus, and the Hyades star cluster arranged as depicted.

Museum's Response

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which was not involved in the research, maintains that its experts have established the painting was created in June 1889. They cite evidence including the canvas roll Van Gogh received in early June and a drawing based on The Starry Night that he sent to his brother Theo on July 2.

The museum also notes Van Gogh had a severe breakdown around July 22 that left him unable to paint for over a month. "Van Gogh was not concerned with exact likenesses," a museum spokesperson stated. "The positions of the celestial bodies depicted can therefore not form a reliable basis for dating the work."

Expert Skepticism

Donald Olson, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Texas State University, expressed skepticism about the study. He pointed out that the positions of Venus and the Hyades cluster in the painting don't match their calculated positions for July 22.

Olson also criticized the researchers' assumption of a narrow field of view, which he said is inconsistent with the wider perspective needed to encompass the painting's distinctive round hills and cliffs. The study authors acknowledged their results weren't conclusive, noting Van Gogh may have combined skies from several different days.