Study dates Van Gogh's Starry Night to July 22, 1889, prompting museum doubts

The authors reached that conclusion by first identifying the likely location where Van Gogh stood to paint the scene. They concluded that he used a narrow field of view when selecting which stars to depict. Using CAD tools and historical astronomical data, they compared the star positions in the painting with those on every night at that place in June and July 1889. The dates of June 23, July 22 and July 23 were the strongest matches. Of those, July 22 stood out because the moon, Venus and the Hyades star cluster all lined up closely with the artwork.

The study was backed by contemporaneous documentary records, including letters Van Gogh sent to friends and relatives that described conditions at the time. AI also played a role, with the report noting that the authors used the technology for “language editing, independent cross-checking of the numerical results, and assistance in preparing the deposited analysis code.”

The study authors concluded that the best evidence pointed toward July 22. This “shifts the burden of proof,” they argued, with those contending that the artwork came from Van Gogh's imagination now needing to explain why it matches an actual night sky from a time he was known to be active.

Not everyone agreed with the conclusions. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, quoted by The Guardian, reaffirmed that the painting was made in June 1889 and said “Van Gogh was not concerned with exact likenesses. The positions of the celestial bodies depicted can therefore not form a reliable basis for dating the work.”

The Guardian also cited Donald Olson, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Texas State University, who said “The authors' assumed narrow field of view, essential for their theory that the stars of the Hyades fill most of the canvas, is inconsistent with the much wider field of view required to encompass Starry Night's round hills and cliffs.”

TechRadar's report also said the scientific study may miss the point of paintings such as The Starry Night, arguing that art's purpose is to make people feel something on an emotional level and that scientific accuracy is often less important than emotive impact. It said trying to pin down the exact date risks ignoring the message the artist was trying to convey, while still describing the study as a fun attempt at drawing a conclusion that is not based only on educated guesswork.