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The Arts Intel Report

Van Gogh and the Stars: A Cosmic Journey Through 165 Works by Over 75 Artists

Vincent van Gogh, La Nuit Étoilée, 1888.

June 1 – Sept 8, 2024
35 Rue du Dr Fanton, 13200 Arles, France

In September 1888, three months before Vincent van Gogh sliced off his ear with a razor, he was on the banks of the Rhône in Arles, at night, painting the sky, the stars, the golden gaslights on the far shore and their shimmering reflections in the dark water—a wondrous cacophony of yellows, blues, and greens shot with black. Since the artist’s death, Starry Night Over the Rhône has been held at the Musée d’Orsay, in Paris. For this exhibition the painting returns to Arles, where it was created, for the first time in 136 years. It is the centerpiece of an exhibition that celebrates the Luma Foundation’s 10th anniversary, and its subject is stars. Works by artists including Edvard Munch, Kasimir Malevitch, Georgia O’Keeffe, Helen Frankenthaler, Tony Cragg, Alicja Kwade, Anselm Kiefer, Dove Allouche, Yves Klein, and Lee Bontecou are part of this fabulous astral alignment. —Elena Clavarino

Photo: Adrien Didierjean/© RMN-Grand Palais, Musée d’Orsay