MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, Starry Night By Van Gogh

The visit to the permanent collection of MoMA inevitably begins with Starry Night by Van Gogh, a thrilling work that stirs the emotions and is found on many of the souvenirs on sale in the bookshop.

In 1889, Vincent Van Gogh was a patient in the asylum of Saint-Rémy, in Provence; the medical staff were unable to come up with an accurate diagnosis for his disorder, but they allowed him to paint, and occasionally to leave the asylum to do so, under the surveillance of an assistant.

On a bright spring night, Van Gogh painted one of his most extraordinary masterpieces. While the little town was slumbering in the valley, protected by the lofty shadows of a cypress tree and the bell tower, a spectacular moon and stars were lighting up the sky. ...