It's a long-held popular misconception that Van Gogh painted his night sky works with lit candles lined up along the brim of his hat. While this is certainly a striking image it is, unfortunately, apocryphal. As Van Gogh states in Letter 543 (below), in fact he used gas lanterns to illuminate his work space while painting at night.

Van Gogh was pleased with his Starry Night over the Rhone painting. He mentioned it more than a half a dozen times in letters to his brother Theo and made likenesses of it in both a letter sketch as well as a drawing.

References in the Letters

Enclosed a little sketch of a square size 30 canvas, the starry sky actually painted at night under a gas jet. The sky is greenish-blue, the water royal blue, the ground mauve. The town is blue and violet, the gas is yellow and the reflections are russet-gold down to greenish-bronze. On the blue-green expanse of sky the Great Bear sparkles green and pink, its discreet pallor contrasts with the harsh gold of the gas. Two colourful little figures of lovers in the foreground.

Letter 543

Some days ago I got your consignment, which is very important; there are superb things in it. Everything arrived in good condition and without any damage. The cradle, the portrait of Roulin, the little sower with the tree, the baby, the starry night, the sunflowers and the chair with the pipe and tobacco pouch are the ones I prefer so far.

Letter T9

I have been absolutely unable to write you sooner, for the heat has been overwhelming, and I felt so weak that everything made me feel extremely tired. Now I have almost recovered from it--for good, I hope. I thank you for your letters and the fine drawings you sent me. The hospital at Arles is very remarkable, the butterfly and the branch of the eglantine are very beautiful too; simple in colour and very beautifully drawn. The last drawings give the impression of having been made in a fury, and are a bit removed from nature. I shall understand them better when I have seen one of these subjects in painting. I have invited quite a number of people to see your pictures, the Pissarros, Father Tangui, Verenskiold¹, a Norwegian who has a lot of talent and who got the medal of honour in his country's section at the Universal Exhibition at Maus's.

The latter is the secretary of the "XX" at Brussels. He came to ask me whether you would be willing to send in work for their next exhibition. There is plenty of time for it, but he did not know whether he could come to Paris before the event. I told him that I did not suppose you would have any objections. He ought to invite Bernard too. In general people like the night effect and the sunflowers. I have put one of the sunflower pieces in our dining room against the mantelpiece. It has the effect of a piece of cloth with satin and gold embroidery; it is magnificent.

Letter T12

Now I still have to tell you that the exhibition of the Independents is open, and that your two pictures are there, the "Irises" and "The Starlit Night." The latter is hung badly, for one cannot put oneself at a sufficient distance, as the room is very narrow, but the other one makes an extremely good showing.

Letter T16

The Location Today

The location of the specific subject of this Van Gogh painting is very similar today compared to how it appeared in 1888. Of course modern conveniences are much in evidence, but remarkably little has changed with the distinctive shore line, the Trinquetaille bridge in the background and at night the Ursa Major constellation can still be seen reflected in the waters of the Rhone just as it was in Van Gogh's day.

1. Erik Theodor Werenskiold (11 February 1855 – 23 November 1938), a Norwegian painter and illustrator.