The Starry Night

from the sources

• The Starry Night has been in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection in New York City since 1941, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. en.wikipedia.org

  “It has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1941, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest.”

• Van Gogh painted the work in June 1889, showing the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence just before sunrise, with an imaginary village added. en.wikipedia.org

  “Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village.”

• Theo inherited the painting when Vincent died, and Theo's widow Jo later owned it and sold it to Émile Schuffenecker in 1901, who sold it back to her in 1905. en.wikipedia.org

  “Following Theo's death six months after Vincent's, the work was owned by Theo's widow, Jo, who sold it to Émile Schuffenecker in 1901, who sold it back to Jo in 1905.”

• Paul Rosenberg bought the painting from Georgette van Stolk of Rotterdam in 1938 and exchanged it to the Museum of Modern Art in 1941. en.wikipedia.org

  “Paul Rosenberg bought it from van Stolk in 1938 and sold it (by exchange) to the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941, which rarely loans it out.”

• Scientific analysis confirmed that Van Gogh used ultramarine and cobalt blue for the sky, and indian yellow and zinc yellow for the stars and moon. en.wikipedia.org

  “Scientific analysis of the painting has confirmed Van Gogh’s use of ultramarine and cobalt blue for the sky, with indian yellow and zinc yellow for the stars and moon.”

• The village in the painting is the one element not visible from Van Gogh's room, and it is based on a sketch made from a hillside above Saint-Rémy. en.wikipedia.org

  “The one pictorial element that was not visible from Van Gogh's cell is the village, which is based on a sketch (F1541v) made from a hillside above the village of Saint-Rémy.”

• The brightest star in the painting, to the right of the cypress tree, is identified as Venus. en.wikipedia.org

  “So the brightest "star" in the painting, just to the viewer's right of the cypress tree, is Venus.”

• Van Gogh referred to the painting as a "failure" in a letter to Émile Bernard in late November 1889. en.wikipedia.org

  “Finally, in a letter to painter Émile Bernard from late November 1889, Van Gogh referred to the painting as a "failure."”