detail of Road with Cypress and Star (Artchive)
Vincent van Gogh is known for his chaotic paintings and similarly tumultuous state of mind. Now a mathematical analysis of his works reveals that the stormy patterns in many of his paintings are uncannily like real turbulence, as seen in swirling water or the air from a jet engine.
Physicist Jose Luis Aragon of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Queretaro and his co-workers have found that the Dutch artist’s works have a pattern of light and dark that closely follows the deep mathematical structure of turbulent flow.
The swirling skies of The Starry Night, painted in 1889, Road with Cypress and Star (1890) and Wheat Field with Crows (1890) — one of the van Gogh’s last pictures before he shot himself at the age of 37 — all contain the characteristic statistical imprint of turbulence, say the researchers.
These works were created when van Gogh was mentally unstable: the artist is known to have experienced psychotic episodes in which he had hallucinations, minor fits and lapses of consciousness, perhaps indicating epilepsy.
“We think that van Gogh had a unique ability to depict turbulence in periods of prolonged psychotic agitation,” says Aragon.
In contrast, the Self-portrait with Pipe and Bandaged Ear (1888) shows no such signs of turbulence. Van Gogh said that he painted this image in a state of “absolute calm”, having been prescribed the drug potassium bromide following his famous self-mutilation.
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This is a very interesting coincidence to find Van Gogh’s work so closely related to turbulence, but I believe a coincidence is all that it is. I disagree that Vincent painted in reflection to the air in a jet engine, or even the much more possible swirling water. This prolonged viewing ability this article claims Van Gogh could possibly have possessed seems unlikely, but don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it’s impossible. His mind was very much disoriented and I’m sure he simply painted what he felt - a case more similar to the spins rather than turbulence, but perhaps, if he really had the ability to paint so closely resembling turbulence, he could be compared to a musician with perfect pitch or a dancer with perfect rhythm. Perhaps Van Gogh should be remembered more for his rare gift rather than cutting his own ear off…
Dude that doesn’t make any sense. I’m glad you’re here and I don’t mean to be rude but I get the feeling you’re commenting just to comment. Make a point! Or don’t. Prove me wrong.
There is no doubt Vincent knew turbulence, but purely on the emotional level, imo. Perhaps an innate feel for violent depiction allows for mathematical translation. I have read the compilation of his letters, most to his brother Theo, and have not come across mathematical explanations in his many detailed accounts. It is quite interesting nonetheless.
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