Van Gogh painted "Starry Night" in 1889 from his room in the mental asylum at Saint-Remy while recovering from mental illness and his ear amputation. This mid-scale painting (which Gogh believed to be a failure) is a result of the artist’s direct observation and imagination. It depicts a powerful moon and star-filled sky, with intense swirling patterns across the canvas, like waves. With this painting, Gogh found his place in art where he produced emotional and visually arresting paintings over the course of a career that would last only a decade. Artist: Vincent van Gogh Created: 1889 Dimensions (cm): 73.7 × 92.1 Format: Oil on canvas Location: Museum of Modern Art, New York City