One of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings is Starry Night, created in 1889. At first glance, it appears to be simply a night landscape with bright stars and a calm cityscape. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this painting captures not only the beauty of the earthly sky, but also the deep cosmos.
The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as M51 and NGC 5194, is a classic example of a spiral galaxy. It is located 15 million light years away from our planet. Interestingly, Van Gogh did not use a telescope or other scientific instruments to create his painting, but painted what he saw with his own eyes. This makes his work even more amazing.
NASA
Van Gogh drawing
Van Gogh seems to have had a special perception and imagination that allowed him to turn his eyes into a real telescope. He was able to convey on canvas the beauty and magic of the cosmos that he saw with his own eyes.
It is interesting to note that Van Gogh’s Starry Night was created long before the invention of the Hubble Space Telescope, which subsequently captured the Whirlpool Galaxy in high detail. This confirms the amazing accuracy and talent of the artist who was able to capture the cosmic beauty without the use of scientific instruments.
There is speculation that Van Gogh may have been inspired by the phenomenon of expanded consciousness, which allowed him to see and perceive astronomical phenomena with the naked eye. This would explain his ability to convey such depth and beauty of outer space on canvas.
