View Full Image / The tumultuous emotional state of Vincent van Gogh is vividly illustrated in the swirling patterns of his work, The Starry Night. (credit: Public domain)
One of Vincent van Gogh’s most renowned works, The Starry Night, crafted in 1889, was produced during his time at a mental health facility in Arles following a crisis in December 1888. While many interpret the tumultuous swirls captured within this painting as a reflection of van Gogh’s psychological struggles, experts in fluid dynamics perceive it as an extraordinary representation of atmospheric turbulence. A recent study published in the journal Physics of Fluids suggests that the dynamic appearance within van Gogh’s night sky owes much to not only artistic expression but also to varying paint stroke scales contributing to “hidden turbulence” on a microscopic level that resonates throughout the artwork.
According to Yongxiang Huang, co-author and researcher from Xiamen University in China, “This artwork exhibits an intuitive grasp of natural phenomena.” He posits that van Gogh’s ability to capture turbulence may stem from careful observation of cloud movements or an inherent skill for illustrating nature’s dynamism.
Previously highlighted during a TED-Ed presentation by Natalya St. Clair back in 2014, she elaborated on how van Gogh’s technique provides insights into fluid dynamics applicable even beyond visual art. This research associate at the Concord Consortium discussed how artists like van Gogh executed their visions by articulating light movement over surfaces—like water or shimmering stars—effectively producing an eye-catching glittering illusion due largely to human perception sensitivity towards shifts in light intensity rather than color variations—a concept known as luminance.
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