The famous painting “Starry Night,” painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1889, is often admired for its visual intensity and vibrant colors. This iconic work, which captures the majesty of a boiling night sky, is not limited to its aesthetic beauty; it also holds fascinating secrets linked to physics. A scientific study has indeed highlighted elements in painting that seem to follow certain laws, thus offering a new insight into the way in which art and science can interconnect.
The swirling world of Van Gogh
When we observe “Starry Night”the eye is immediately drawn to the swirling shapes and twinkling stars dancing across the sky. The brushstrokes of Van Goghdynamic and expressive, transmit a sensation of movement, as if the sky were in perpetual evolution.
This dynamic is particularly captivating, as it evokes the tumultuous emotions of the artist who was in the grip of an intense inner struggle during its creation. At the Saint-Rémy-de-Provence asylum, Van Gogh managed to channel his suffering and isolation into a work capable of transcending the simple representation of the night sky. Van Gogh thus transformed his despair into a vibrant and unique vision, resulting in a scene that evokes both the beauty and intensity of the natural world.
Kolmogorov’s law
This picture, while deeply subjective, also turns out to be surprisingly consistent with some principles of fluid physics. A recent study reveals that the swirls present in the paint can be associated with the Kolmogorov’s lawa theory of turbulence that describes how energy propagates in moving fluids. This law is essential for understanding phenomena such as the behavior of rivers or winds in the atmosphere. In simple terms, it states that when fluids, such as air or water, flow, they generate vortices which form from kinetic energy, i.e. linked to movement.
The swirling patterns painted by Van Gogh are therefore not just the fruit of his imagination. By carefully observing the spirals and swirls in the sky of the canvas, one can perceive how these shapes evoke the way energy moves and transforms in a fluid medium. In this sense, Van Gogh is not content to represent a sky; it also evokes the physical dynamics that pass through it.
A new perspective on art
So, although the painter interpreted the sky in his own way, his depictions seem to conform to real physical principles, creating a fascinating link between art and science. This discovery highlights the depth of Van Gogh’s vision and opens new perspectives on our appreciation of his work. It also invites us to reflect on the way in which other artists have been able to integrate scientific elements into their creations throughout the ages without even being aware of it.
