The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh - Facts and Viewing Guide
TL;DR
- Painted: June 1889, Saint-Paul-de-Mausole (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence).
- Where it is today: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, accession 472.1941.
- What to do here: Use the 5-minute viewing guide, then jump to Starry Night products.
Explore the artist collection: Vincent van Gogh — Collection
Primary museum record: MoMA acquisition record (PDF)
Shop the motif (Starry Night)
What you are seeing: Saint-Rémy, June 1889
Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in June 1889 at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The view combines his east-facing window before sunrise with an imagined village. The painting is in MoMA’s collection, accession 472.1941. MoMA acquisition record.
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MoMA gallery view — framed original. -
Full artwork — uncropped composition. -
Detail — crescent moon impasto. -
Detail — village church and spire. -
Detail — two radiant stars, directional strokes. -
Detail — blue spiral vortex. -
Detail — large star above cypress. -
Detail — church spire with yellow window.
Composition and what to look for
- Sky as motion: interlocking spirals and halos pull the gaze clockwise.
- Cypress as bridge: a flamelike vertical links earth and sky.
- Village as calm: straight edges and a spire stabilize the field.
- Color logic: deep blues offset by yellow-orange lights.
Materials, pigments, technique
| Aspect | What to know | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Support and size | Oil on canvas, 73.7 × 92.1 cm (29.01 × 36.26 in) | Portable scale with brushwork that reads across a room. MoMA |
| Blues | Ultramarine and cobalt were on Van Gogh’s palette | Cool and warm blues create depth and vibration. Letters no. 863 |
| Handling | Loaded curves, impasto ridges, thinner underlayers | Tactile strokes catch light and encode direction. |
Art and science
Researchers have compared the painting’s swirl statistics with turbulence models. A widely cited study reports luminance scaling in works by Van Gogh that align with Kolmogorov turbulence. PNAS 2006. See also a plain-language overview. Physics World.
Ownership and display
- Owner: Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- Accession: 472.1941, acquired by exchange through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. MoMA
Value and “is it for sale?”
The painting is in a public museum collection. There is no public sale price. MoMA materials do not list an insurance value. MoMA.
From the letters: what Van Gogh wanted the picture to do
Van Gogh wrote about night effects, color, and movement in 1888–1890. His letters list blues such as cobalt and ultramarine, and discuss cypresses and the role of impasto. Read the primary sources. Letter 626 and Letter 863.
Micro-timeline
- Feb 1888: Arles night studies begin.
- May 8, 1889: Admitted to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole.
- June 1889: Paints The Starry Night in the studio.
- 1941: MoMA acquisition by exchange via the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. MoMA
How to look: a 5-minute viewing guide
- Start at the left spiral: feel the rotation and count the halos.
- Follow the S-curve: track the arc toward the moon.
- Drop to the village: straight edges reset the tempo.
- Use the cypress: the vertical connects calm and motion.
- Scan the paint: impasto ridges catch light.
Shop this artwork
- Cotton Casual Shorts
- High Neck Dress
- Framed Mural (5-piece)
- Hawaiian Shirt (Cotton)
- Cycling Jersey
- Skirt
- Duvet Cover Set
- T-Shirt
- Shoulder Bag
- Sweater
See more: Vincent van Gogh — Artist Collection
Explore collections
Extended FAQ
Where was it painted?
Saint-Rémy, June 1889, at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. MoMA
Is the village real?
No. It reads as an imaginative anchor that balances the moving sky.
Which pigments?
Van Gogh lists cobalt and ultramarine among his blues. Letters no. 863
Who owns it?
MoMA, New York. Accession 472.1941. MoMA
Is it for sale?
No public sale price. MoMA lists it as part of the permanent collection and does not publish an insurance value. MoMA
Why do scientists mention turbulence?
Statistical patterns in the swirls align with turbulence models. PNAS. Physics World
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