The Starry Night Is Painted

Setting the scene

Vincent van Gogh admitted himself to the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in May 1889, painting through periodic mental crises under the care of Dr. Théophile Peyron; from his east-facing window he watched the Provençal sky churn with cypresses and rolling hills.

What happened

Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in June 1889, swirling cobalt and yellow strokes around a village church spire that echoed Dutch memory more than the view outside his barred window.

Why it still matters

He sold few works in life but reshaped modern art after his 1890 death; The Starry Night, once dismissed even by Vincent in letters, became among the most reproduced images in museums and popular culture, defining post-Impressionist emotion for generations.

Background

He sold few works in life but reshaped modern art.