Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' illuminates the laws of physics: Shedding light on the physics of turbulence

It has been determined that the brushstrokes in Vincent van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' are close to real-life physical movements and align with atmospheric movements on Earth.

In a study conducted in partnership with several Chinese and French institutions, including Xiamen University and the University of Lille, it was observed that Vincent van Gogh successfully mimicked physical laws in his painting.

Researchers examining the 14 swirling structures in the painting revealed that the brushstrokes in 'The Starry Night' align with the Kolmogorov theory of turbulence, and that the positions and brightness ratios of the brushstrokes depict turbulent movements in the painting.

Vincent van Gogh's self-portrait. 'Self-Portrait 1889'

REFLECTS ATMOSPHERIC FEATURES INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE

Researchers stated that the brushstrokes in the painting mimic atmospheric features in shape, energy, and scale that cannot normally be observed with the naked eye.

Noting that the painting also conforms to the Batchelor scale, the researchers recorded that the brightness ratios in the painting are directly proportional to this scale.

One of the authors of the study, Yongxiang Huang, assessed that Vincent van Gogh's 'perfectly accurate' depiction of turbulence in his painting may stem from the artist's study of clouds and the atmosphere.

The research was published in AIP Publishing's 'Physics of Fluids' journal.

News Source: AA