After 137 years: Astronomers cast doubt on Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night'

137 years after it was painted, a team of researchers in South Korea suggests that Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' was inspired by the dawn sky of July 22, 1889, and not by a scene from June of the same year as art historians had assumed, according to a study published in the journal 'Scientific Reports'.

137 years after it was painted, a team of researchers in South Korea is challenging the prevailing hypothesis about the source of inspiration for 'The Starry Night' by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The team, led by researcher Elijah Jeong-hyeon Kim from Kyung Hee University, suggests that Van Gogh may have drawn inspiration from the dawn sky of July 22, 1889, and not from a scene dating to June of the same year, as art historians have assumed for decades. The study was published in the journal 'Scientific Reports' on October 22, 2026, after reconstructing the positions of stars and planets visible above the French town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh was staying in a psychiatric hospital and painted his famous work. The researchers compared the star formations appearing in the painting with the actual positions of celestial bodies 137 years ago, and found that the arrangement of several stars, along with the position of Venus and the shape of the crescent, corresponds strikingly with the sky visible before dawn on July 22, 1889. The team used astronomical simulations, historical weather records, and Van Gogh's letters in an attempt to determine the celestial scene that may have inspired the artist.